The Favor
by Earthling
Summary: Previously the Picard Family What happens when Q decides to do Jean-Luc a favor? Nothing in this universe compares!Completed! Please R
1. Default Chapter

The Picard Family  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me. Enjoy!  
  
Captain Jean-Luc Picard sat in his quarters, sipping his tea and reading Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". It was not his normal read, he preferred the tragedies, but strangely enough his tastes this morning had run towards the comical. He was awaiting Beverly's arrival so that he could break his fast. He was starving. He had woken an entire hour earlier than usual and was surprised to realize it was his hunger that had woken him. He had spent two hours the night before doing calisthenics with Mr. Data in the holideck, which was very likely why his body was so depleted.  
Finally, a chime announced someone at the door.  
"Come!"  
"Good morning, Jean-Luc" Beverly greeted him cheerfully. Jean-Luc rose to get her a cup of tea as well and to order their croissants.  
"Good morning" he replied, "I've been waiting" He smiled back at her as the replicator produced their breakfast.  
"Oh?  
"Mmm. My stomach woke me an hour early" he told her, handing her her breakfast.  
"You were so hungry you woke up an hour early?" Beverly almost stared at him she was so surprised. He grinned and sat down.  
"I spent the evening in the holideck with Mr. Data" he explained, "Doing calisthenics"  
"Ah! I see" Beverly chuckled and the two enjoyed their breakfast together, Jean-Luc heartily. The Enterprise was doing one of those boring, routine mapping missions that very often ended up as some daring rescue attempt or close encounter with a very powerful foe. The days had passed slowly, and now that the mission was almost at an end, Jean-Luc was beginning to think this mission may pass without any kind of mishap or strange happening.  
"Which" Will retorted when the Captain had voiced the thought, "Would be odd in and of itself" Jean-Luc had chuckled at his first officer and returned his attention to the end of the week reports that the various stations had been making. It didn't take him long to finish looking through all of them. He filed them all away and studied the main viewer, which was displaying stars, nothing abnormal or of note. Jean-Luc almost felt like tapping his fingers on his armrest. A peculiar sort of ennui was settling in his chest and he did not appreciate the feeling. He should be glad he was not being faced with any life threatening decisions or imprecise decisions. Instead, he found himself wishing for a little excitement. He was tired of sitting in his chair, just waiting for something to happen, reading his reports and making his logs.  
At the end of the day though, he found himself sending his final report to Starfleet Command and requesting the information for their next mission. He shut off his computer console and left his ready room. His shift was over.  
"You have the bridge, Commander"  
"Aye, sir" Troi replied. Jean-Luc gave her a smile. He knew she loved to sit the night watch, even if she was tired the next morning. She was like a giddy school child with a piece of candy to savor. He again smiled at the thought as the turbolift doors shut and whirled him off towards Beverly's quarters. He was to pick her up so they could attend another one of Mr. Data's attempts at social integration. This time, thankfully, he was not going to be forced to listen to dozens of the Commander's poems. Nor was it a musical concert, though Jean-Luc rather enjoyed those. Instead, Data had decided to display some of his artwork in the gallery. It was opening night for the exhibition and the Captain had promised he would attend. He assumed the rest of the command crew had made similar promises. Data usually procured them weeks in advance.  
Perhaps, Jean-Luc considered, someone ought to tell Data he was a little too eager sometimes. But he knew the comment would go over Data's head and so it would do no good.  
The turbolift opened and Jean-Luc went a short way down the corridor to Beverly's quarters. He chimed.  
"Come in!" her somewhere-between-alto-and-soprano voice beckoned him. The doors opened for him and he crossed the threshold into a room which was distinctly Beverly Howard-Crusher. She had exchanged her old quarters for smaller ones, not having Wesley living with her anymore had diminished the need for any extra space.  
"Ah, Jean-Luc!" she greeted him from in front of her mirror, "I'll be ready in a minute" She was pinning her hair back. Jean-Luc tried to watch without appearing to do so. He found it fascinating to watch her do simple things, such as pinning her hair back, things that were lost in the mysteries of women, and perhaps, married life. The way she smoothed her top down even though there were no wrinkles in it, the way she always opened her mouth when she was putting her eyeliner on or how she dusted the top of a music box as she passed by, seemingly without even realizing it. All just part of being a woman, the woman she was.  
He shook his head as he held out his arm for her and she wrapped her own about it. They arrived in the art gallery just a bit late, missing the unveiling and, hopefully, a good portion of any speech Data might have made.  
"I like it" Jean-Luc's attention was drawn to the sound of Guinan's voice. She was standing in front of a large painting, about 4 foot by 3 foot, with Data. It almost appeared to be a finger-painting, the colors swirled and heaped on top of each other.  
"This is my interpretation of the chemical workings of the human mind and how they combine and separate to formulate specific messages for each function of the body" Data explained. Guinan nodded.  
"I like the purple" she told him, and smiled when he appeared to be confused. Jean-Luc caught her gaze from across the room and gave her a smile. He knew exactly what she was thinking.  
He and Beverly circled the room, saying hello to various crewman, stopping for a moment next to Will and Geordi who were both looking as if they were trying to avoid Data, and soon enough finding themselves congratulating the artist himself.  
"They are truly magnificent, Mr. Data" Jean-Luc told his android friend. Though Data technically had no emotions, the Captain often found that his science officer had a definite lack of self-confidence, mostly in the area of socialization.  
"Thank you Captain" Data replied.  
"They're lovely, Data" Beverly added, "Very expressive"  
"Thank you, Doctor. I am glad you found them so" Data looked well and truly pleased with himself.  
"Well, if you'll excuse us" Jean-Luc nodded at their "host".  
"Of course, sir. Thank you for attending" Data nodded back and then headed off in the direction that Will and Geordi were last occupying. Beverly laughed as she watched him go and Jean-Luc escorted her back to her quarters.  
"Good night, Jean-Luc" she said and then the doors closed behind her. Jean-Luc smiled to himself, contented with the day, and made his way back to his own quarters where he took a quick shower and then sat down to finish "Much Ado About Nothing" over a cup of Earl Grey.  
Later, in the mists of his dreams and through the fog of unconsciousness, he heard a familiar voice, one which he was not particularly pleased to hear.  
"Hello, Jean-Luc" Fighting his sleep, the Captain tried to figure out what was going on. All that would come to his sleep ridden mind, however, was a name. A name which in itself spelled out disaster, annoyance and confusion.  
"Q" 


	2. Papa?

The Picard Family  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me. Enjoy!  
  
Jean-Luc let his eyelids flutter. He had the sense that he should be trying desperately to do something, catch on to something, but he couldn't think of what that might be. He breathed deeply and felt his head rest back into his pillow. It would be morning soon and he would have to get up, but he was enjoying the warmth of his blankets at the moment.  
Chime.  
??  
Chime.  
Jean-Luc mumbled something and flipped over. He heard his door open but the sound didn't quite register. He was still drifting slowly to consciousness.  
"Papa?" a young female voice was standing over him, "Papa?"  
That word registered. Drifting over, Jean-Luc sat straight up in bed and looked about wildly. He was in his quarters aboard the Enterprise, everything was in its place, everything looked as he remembered it. Everything, except the girl standing in front of him.  
"Papa, are you alright?" Jean-Luc looked at her.  
"Who are you?" he demanded. She stepped back from the bed. "What are you doing in my quarters?"  
"Papa, there's something wrong with you" the young woman told him. She tapped her badge.  
"Raylyn to Sickbay"  
"Sickbay here. What is it Raylyn?" Beverly Crusher's voice responded. She sounded distracted.  
"There's something wrong with Papa" the young woman standing at the foot of his bed told her, "He's still in bed and he's just asked me who I am. And he's serious"  
"I'm on my way" Beverly answered.  
"Riker to Picard" William Riker's voice sounded over the com system, "Sir, you're late"  
"Will this is Raylyn" the woman replied, "You'd better come down to Papa's quarters" Things were happening almost too quickly for Jean-Luc to comprehend.  
"I'm late?" he asked, "To the bridge?" He was never late to the bridge for his shift.  
"Only just barely" the woman, Raylyn apparently, replied, "I stopped to walk you up. I can't believe you're still in bed. Do you feel alright?"  
"Yes, of course, I feel....fine" Jean-Luc told her, running a hand over his bald head. She didn't say anything else, but her expression told him that she didn't believe him. All of the sudden, Jean-Luc stared at her. She had his nose! Being as large as it was, it was easily identifiable. She had his nose and his hooded eyes. Not his lips or cheeks though. Still, the similarity was striking, and if he hadn't known better he would have believed that she was using the term "Papa" correctly. Her eyes were very dark, however, completely black. Almost...Betazoid.  
"You're name...is Ray Lynn?" he asked to fill up the empty air. He was unaccustomed to not having control over a situation. He was unaccustomed to sitting in bed while waiting for Beverly to arrive to give him a physical once over. He squared his shoulders and tossed back the covers.  
"Raylyn, but yes." she watched him warily as he strode, in his nightclothes, to the replicator and ordered a cup of Earl Grey. He was just taking his first sip as the doors slid apart and Will Riker strode in.  
"Number One" the Captain greeted him. Will rose an eyebrow but inclined his head.  
"Sir" he looked at Raylyn, "What's going on?" She was staring at Jean-Luc, a look of dismay and hurt on her face.  
"You remember Will but you don't remember me?" she said as if repeating something incredulous he'd just said. The situation was spiraling even farther out of Jean-Luc's control and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself.  
"He's telling the truth" the woman was telling Will, "He's not hiding anything and he genuinely does not know who I am. He's confused too. I just..." she was shaking her head, staring out the window above the bed, "I just can't believe it!" Will wrapped his arms about her and placed a kiss on top of her dark hair.  
"It's alright" he murmured, "Beverly'll fix it" Jean-Luc took a sip of his tea and another steadying breath. He felt awkward, as if he was eavesdropping on an intimate conversation. He could tell there was something between his first officer and whomever this young woman might be, but he had no idea how he should be reacting to it. He was not in the habit of interfering with his crewmember's personal lives, but this was an odd circumstance, a strange scene to be playing out in his own quarters.  
He had no time to make a decision one way or another however, because the doors opened again and this time another familiar face walked in.  
"Beverly" Jean-Luc sighed in relief. The Doctor had her tricorder out and was already examining him.  
"He still doesn't know who I am" Raylyn told her from Will's embrace, "There's something different about him, Mom, I just...I just don't know what"  
"Mom?" Jean-Luc repeated loudly, startling Beverly. She frowned and studied her tricorder readings.  
"There's nothing wrong with him" she said with a little sigh, the way she did when she was still searching for an answer. She bit her bottom lip and closed the tricorder.  
"I'll have to take him to Sickbay to do a full brain scan" she told Raylyn and Will, who just nodded silently, "His brain patterns were a bit off, but I won't know why until I do a full diagnosis"  
"Will he be alright?" Will asked. Jean-Luc put his cup of tea down.  
"Will you please stop talking about me as if I'm not here" he demanded. Then he took another breath and tried to steady his voice.  
"Now, will you please, just explain to me what is going on" He waited for someone to say something.  
"Jean-Luc, you say you don't remember Raylyn at all" He nodded, "And how do you recall our relationship?" Beverly was watching him as if looking for a specific response.  
"We are friends, of course" he told her with a curt nod, "Good friends" She shook her head.  
"I don't know what it is!" she said to herself and then redirected her attention to him, "Jean-Luc, you and I have been married for four years. We got married two years after you took command of the Enterprise." Shock was reeling through him. He married Beverly? He couldn't say he wasn't impervious to the idea, he did love her a great deal, but he knew they had not become romantically involved. It would be disloyal to Jack.  
"Raylyn is your daughter with a Betazoid woman name Chaza Troi" Beverly continued. Jean-Luc stared at her as if she'd grown antlers.  
"Troi? As in Deanna Troi? Lwaxana Troi?" he questioned. Raylyn and Beverly exchanged a look.  
"You remember them?" she asked.  
"Of course" he replied. He was about to add more details but bit his tongue. Obviously, things in this....reality....were far different than they were in his own. That is what Jean-Luc had come up with in the half an hour since he'd awoken. He must have somehow been pulled or transported to another reality, another universe. Something about what he had been dreaming niggled in his mind, and he knew it was important but he could not grasp whatever it was.  
"Lwaxana is Chaza's older sister" Beverly continued again, "Deanna is her daughter, Raylyn's cousin. They're very good friends, but...I don't understand why you would remember her and not your own daughter" She bit her lip again and didn't say anything else.  
"You said....you said that we were married four years ago" Jean-Luc started, "Yet, Raylyn called you Mom. Why?" The young woman who looked so much like himself detached herself from Will.  
"When you and Mo...Beverly married, she asked me to call her Mom. Wesley didn't have any objections and so I did" she explained.  
"Wesley?" Jean-Luc repeated.  
"My son" Beverly told him, "He's not here right now, he's at the Academy"  
"Yes, yes, I know who Wesley is" Jean-Luc snapped at her.  
"You remember everybody except Raylyn and Chaza?" Will asked. Jean- Luc nodded mutely.  
"What is going on here?" Raylyn asked the air, and it responded.  
"Perhaps I can answer that" a familiar voice said and suddenly Jean- Luc remembered what he had been dreaming about.  
"Q" 


	3. A Quick Run Through

The Picard Family  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me. Enjoy!  
  
"Mon Capitan!" Q exclaimed, popping into the room. Jean-Luc could already feel his temper rising. He had yet to encounter the nearly omnipotent entity known only as Q without disaster striking. The mere thought of the meddlesome being was enough to raise Jean-Luc's ire.  
"You've done this to me!" Jean-Luc accused him, resisting the urge to raise his voice.  
"What have you done now, Q?" Raylyn demanded, but her tone was not the outrage Jean-Luc himself was feeling. It was more of a "what has the harmless prankster done" tone. In fact, he seemed to be the only one angry with Q. Both Beverly and Will were merely awaiting his answer, brows quirked.  
"I've done you a favor, Jean-Luc" Q answered, pompous as ever.  
"A favor?" Jean-Luc repeated incredulously.  
"Yes. I'm feeling gracious toward you at the moment, Mon Capitan!"  
"Gracious?" Beverly asked, "What for?"  
"Never mind that, my good Doctor" Q replied with a flip of his hand, "Suffice it to say you've recently put me in a very good mood and I feel like rewarding you!" Jean-Luc was flabbergasted. The other three in his quarters exchanged slightly concerned looks.  
"I don't understand" Jean-Luc admitted, "You've.... changed my life to include these" he glanced at Raylyn, "circumstances?"  
  
"No, no, no!" Q explained jovially, "Nothing so mundane. I'm simply giving you a taste of an alternate reality"  
"An alternate reality?" Will repeated. Q ignored him. He drew closer to Jean-Luc, reaching for Raylyn's hand to put into the captain's.  
"A chance to get to know you're daughter" he said quietly. Jean-Luc was almost speechless. He stared at Raylyn as if she hadn't been calling him "Papa" for the last half an hour.  
"My daughter?" he whispered.  
"Yes" Q whispered back, then stepped away, "I suppose you'll want to know the whole story" he said loudly, "Oh, very well!"  
And in a bright light, Jean-Luc's quarters were replaced by a white mist.  
"We'll go through all the important events" Q's voice declared, "Starting with the second"  
"Second?" Jean-Luc asked, slightly confused.  
"The first being conception and I have no wish to witness that particular event. I haven't the stomach" Q replied and Jean-Luc found himself in a hospital room, standing next to a lovely young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Lwaxana Troi. She was clutching his hand strongly and breathing hard. Jean-Luc was surprised to find he recognized her. She was Chaza, Raylyn's mother, and she was in labor.  
"Come on, Chaza!" the Betazoid doctor urged from near Chaza's feet, "One more push!" Chaza gave on last yell and then the sound of an infant's crying filled the air. Jean-Luc felt strangely breathless. The sound was like music to his ears. Chaza was crying and laughing and he forgot that he was in a different reality. He kissed her brow happily.  
"It's a girl!" the doctor told him as she placed the newborn in his arms. She had stopped crying and was gazing up at her father with her tiny black eyes. A joy Jean-Luc had never thought to experience soared through him and brought tears to his eyes.  
"She is so beautiful!" he exclaimed as her tiny fingers automatically wrapped around his. He felt the urgent need to first protect her from all the cruelties and harshness's of the universe and at the same time show her all the wonders and beauties to be found in the galaxy. A single tear dropped from his eye.  
In a whirl of white mist he gained 5 years of memories (sleepless nights, her first step, a temper tantrum, a day care craft, her first horse ride in the holideck, a scraped knee, Christmases spent quietly at home) and he found himself in front of a schoolroom door.  
"Papa, do I have to?" a scared sounding Raylyn asked in French, holding tightly to his hand and staring up at him with her black eyes.  
"Yes, you do" he heard himself say gently. He put a hand on top of her black curls.  
"It's not any different than daycare" But to a scared five year old, school aboard a starship might as well be the end of the earth.  
Then the mist came again. The images swirled by so quickly, Jean-Luc would have lost track of them if they hadn't been imprinted upon his mind. Her first piano recital, her first trip to France to meet Robert and Renee, the day she won the science fair, the first time she displayed her artwork in a gallery.  
Then the scene came to rest in a large ballroom. Music was playing, but there were no voices to be heard. There were elegantly clad men and women crowded around and Jean-Luc realized they were all Betazoid.  
Raylyn was in his arms, twirling to the music. They were dancing. It was her 15th birthday, a special age for Betazoids because it was at that age their mental powers finished developing. Jean-Luc saw a very young Deanna and Lwaxana Troi watching with big smiles. Raylyn was grinning at him and he felt an intense sense of pride in her. Then the images swirled again. Her accomplishments increased with her age and Jean-Luc watched with increasing pride and happiness as the years passed and finally reached the day she went off to the Academy, the day she graduated first in her class, the day she was assigned to Betazed, the day she brought Will home to meet him. Though Jean-Luc was well aware of what a superb man Will was, he still felt intense feelings of protection, wariness and even a little jealousy.  
Then he was dancing with Raylyn again. This time she was all in white and Will was grinning like a fool behind her, waiting to get his bride back. Jean-Luc had to choke back a few tears.  
And then that too faded away . He took command of the Enterprise and was overjoyed when his daughter and son-in-law were assigned as his second and first officers, respectively.  
With a jerk, Jean-Luc was back in his quarters, Will, Beverly and Raylyn looking at him expectantly.  
"And that brings you up to date" Q's voice said from the thin air. 


	4. Only Questions

The Picard Family  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
"Q! Q, come back here this instant!" Raylyn shouted, as if Q were merely an errant child and she his fed-up mother. Jean-Luc stared at her silently. He could already see some of himself in her. Q had left him with a few memories, but nothing that so much revealed her character as being in her presence. She exuded a sense of authority that Jean-Luc recognized well for he exuded the same thing. The uniforms in this reality were slightly different, but she wore the command green as if she'd grown up in it. And likely, she had. She most definitely looked like her father, the Picard nose and eyes were prominent features, but they were softened by her Betazoid beauty. Dark luxurious hair and high cheek bones, soft creamy skin and full berry colored lips, Jean-Luc could easily see how Will had fallen in love with her.  
"Damn. He's gone" Will said behind her. Jean-Luc thought he looked better in red than this odd dark mossy green.  
"He's not gone" Raylyn countered, folding her arms over her chest, "He's just not responding. Q, I do not appreciate this! The next time I talk to Amanda..." Q appeared. Jean-Luc startled. He was intensely curious about why the mention of Amanda, whomever she may be, would bring Q to heel.  
"Well, what is it?" he asked grumpily.  
"What do you mean, what is it? I want my father back!" Raylyn poked the almost all-powerful being in the chest.  
"He is your father!" Q retorted, "At least, mostly"  
"Q, we have a job to do! We need the Captain Picard that is familiar with circumstances here" Will said.  
"So brief him" Q suggested, "He's the same man. He's fully capable of doing the job"  
"At least tell us how long you plan on leaving him here, Q" Beverly said. Q just shrugged.  
"Who knows?" His grin had returned, "A few hours, a year, forever!"  
"And what about my ship, Q? In my reality?" Jean-Luc suddenly demanded.  
"Don't worry so, Mon Capitan!" Q waved his hand around as if the matter were less then trifling, "The Enterprise will not go without its Captain! Enjoy this! It's the only chance you'll get" And then he was gone again.  
"Q! Q! What do you mean?" Jean-Luc addressed the air.  
"It's no good" Raylyn said with a frown, "He's gone this time"  
"How can you tell that?" Jean-Luc asked. There was so much he had to learn, and who knew how much time he would have? But there was this ship to consider as well, it still needed a captain. Jean-Luc may be out of his native universe, but his oath of duty transcended universes.  
"I've become used to...the sense of him" Raylyn answered his question, "He's been coming around since I was little. We first encountered him on the Stargazer"  
"The Stargazer?" Jean-Luc repeated, mulling that fact over. There were so many questions. This universe obviously had some things in common with his own, but he feared that there may be too many differences for him to properly do his job.  
"Ray, we have work to do" Will suddenly said. He sighed and looked at the Captain.  
"We'll just have to do what Q said, brief him and then try to finish this mission"  
"What mission?" Jean-Luc asked immediately, but the com interrupted any answer he would have gotten immediately.  
"Captain, the Troi's are ready for transport" O'Brien's voice informed them all. Raylyn sighed.  
"Thank you, Chief. We'll be there in a minute" Will answered.  
"You'd better get dressed, Jean-Luc" Beverly told him, "Lwaxana will be upset if you're not there to meet her"  
"Lwaxana?" Jean-Luc tried not to moan. The woman was as close to insufferable as he could handle. At heart he knew she had the best of intentions, but she sorely tried his patience. Of course, in this universe, perhaps the opposite was true. He dearly hoped so.  
"We'll brief you after we have Deanna back" Raylyn told him, shooing him into the bedroom to don his uniform. As he fastened the appropriate amount of pips to his collar, Jean-Luc reflected on the coloring. The green did nothing for his complexion. Less, perhaps, than it did for Will's. Raylyn, of course, looked spectacular in the color, and Beverly was in the standard medical blue.  
"You said when we get Deanna 'back'" Jean-Luc observed as the group hurried to the transporter room.  
"Yes. She's our ship's councilor. Is she...where you come from?" Raylyn inquired. Jean-Luc nodded.  
"She's been on leave to visit her mother and older sister" Will continued.  
"Kestra?" Jean-Luc interrupted. Will nodded.  
"You know her too?"  
"No" Jean-Luc replied, "She, uh....she drowned as a child in my universe."  
"Oh" Raylyn nodded, "Chasing that infernal dog around the pond. Yes, I remember Aunt telling us about it" Before Jean-Luc could ask anymore questions they were in the transporter room.  
"Energize, Chief" Will ordered and O'Brien complied. Lwaxana Troi, Deanna Troi and Mr. Homm materialized on the platform. Raylyn stepped forward, grinning. Lwaxana descended and hugged her, as did Deanna. By their gestures Jean-Luc could tell that they were communicating telepathically.  
"Hello, Will" Deanna kissed the Commander's cheek. Jean-Luc wondered if they were Imzadi.  
"Deanna" Will smiled and then nodded at Lwaxana, "Ambassador" Lwaxana nodded back.  
"Beverly" she added and then turned to the Captain, "Jean-Luc, how pleasant to see you again!" She exclaimed in her normal overpowering way and then she embraced him. Caught off guard, it took a moment for Jean-Luc to respond in kind. She noticed something was wrong, he could see it in the way her brow creased.  
"Uncle" Deanna nodded at him with a grin of her own. Uncle? Oh, yes, he would be wouldn't he?  
"Councilor" he nodded back. She raised a brow.  
"That's rather formal, don't you think?" Then both she and her mother were considering him oddly.  
"It's....a long story" Raylyn interrupted, grabbing Deanna by her elbow and leading them away towards a turbolift. The rest of the group followed, heading off to the briefing from another universe. 


	5. The Briefing

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
"Has Q told you when we'll get our Jean-Luc Picard back?" Deanna asked, leaning forward over the table in the observation lounge where they were holding their briefing.  
"No" Will answered, "We're going to have to just do this mission without him" He glanced at Jean-Luc, who was seated in the Captain's chair, and grimaced.  
"No offense, sir" he added, "I just meant..."  
"I know what you meant, Number One" Jean-Luc replied, "I will of course do the best that I can. Perhaps you had first better tell me what this mission is"  
"We are attending some talks that are to take place on Bajor" Will told him, "They're peace talks with the Cardassians. With the Borg threatening we need all the allies we can get"  
"The Cardassians are on Bajor?" Jean-Luc inquired. They were in his universe.  
"No" Raylyn answered, "That's just where the talks are being held. The Bajoran's are neutral, they aren't part of the Federation, nor are they allied with the Cardassians. They offered to have the talks there. Ambassador Ro Laren will moderate the talks"  
"Ro Laren!" Jean-Luc repeated. They could not be serious. The woman had, until recently, been in prison. True, Jean-Luc believed that she could one day be one of the finest officers, but not now, not yet. Ambassador? That meant that she was never in Starfleet. And if the Cardassians never occupied her home planet....Jean-Luc was going to have to get used to the differences here. Laren had the perfect personality to moderate peace talks with Cardassians.  
"You know her?" Will asked. Jean-Luc merely nodded and said nothing more.  
"Mother is one of several Ambassador's that we'll be transporting to the talks" Deanna continued, "The Vulcan's are sending Ambassador Spock, who's already on board. The Romulans are sending Ambassador T'auri and she's on board as well. Now that Mother's here, we only need to get the Klingon ambassadors"  
"They're sending two" Will said and tapped the pad in front of him. Two familiar faces popped up on the screen behind Jean-Luc.  
"Ambassador Worf, and his wife, Ka'lar. They'll be bringing their son as well."  
"Worf" Jean-Luc chuckled at the thought of Worf as an ambassador.  
"You know him too" Deanna stated. Jean-Luc nodded.  
"He's my security chief" he told her.  
"Your security chief?" Will repeated.  
"Yes. He's a fine man. So is Ka'lar, she's an extraordinary woman"  
"Right. Well, you, sir, are representing Earth in these talks" Jean- Luc stared at Will. He was what? He couldn't possibly, not in his condition.  
"Is there not someone else who might do it?" he inquired hopefully. Beverly shook her head.  
"The Cardassians specifically asked for you, Jean-Luc. They find you fascinating, at least the one's we've met have. The man who brought an end to the war between the Romulans and the Federation" Jean-Luc found it difficult to believe that he, or rather his counter part, single handedly accomplished such a task, but he had no time to argue.  
"I don't understand why so many representatives of the Federation are being called to the talks" he admitted.  
"The Romulans aren't members" Deanna informed him, "Neither are the Klingons. They're just allies. Federation policy is to have a Betazoid and a Vulcan, as well as one other representative, at all peace talks and negotiations."  
"I see. Well, if I have to do this, I think I had better take some time to study up" Jean-Luc said, rising. Will nodded.  
"I'll take your shift. Ray and I can handle the bridge for a couple of days" he said.  
"If you need anything, we'll send Data to you" Raylyn added. Jean-Luc nodded. He wondered where Data would fit into this odd ensemble, but he was glad that the android was on board. He had also been told that Geordi La Forge was the Chief Engineer, a fact Jean-Luc found reassuring as well.  
"Dr. Crusher?" a nurse's voice said. Beverly tapped her badge. Jean- Luc wondered why, if they were married, she still went by Crusher.  
"Crusher, here"  
"Can you come to sickbay? Reggie's just come in" Beverly rolled her eyes.  
"On my way" She looked at Jean-Luc.  
"Dismissed" he nodded at everybody. They all filtered out of the room, Jean-Luc last, watching them. Will and Raylyn paused at the door to the bridge.  
"I'll do the first half of his shift" Will was saying, "Data can do the rest" Raylyn nodded.  
"I'll do it tomorrow then" she said, "Right now I'm down to engineering to help Geordi with that overhaul" Will nodded and leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead. Jean-Luc looked away.  
"I'll see you for dinner" the commander said and was gone. Raylyn spared a glance for the man who was her father, and wasn't, and then she left too. Jean-Luc went the other way, towards his quarters. At least they were in the same place. 


	6. Puzzle Pieces

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
Jean-Luc stood and stretched. He shut off his computer terminal and ordered himself a cup of tea. He sighed and looked over his quarters. They were largely the same, with minor differences that he was sure were what some would call a "feminine touch". For instance, most of the artifacts that he normally had spread across the room on various tables and shelves were neatly and artistically arranged on one shelving unit and vases of exotic flowers and leafy plants had replaced them. The curtains were a lighter shade of green and blue than he would have chosen, but they worked well with the rest of the room. His books were all in place, and he ran a hand over their familiar bindings, skimming the titles to make sure they were all there. They were, and in fact there were some very welcome additions that he made note of. He plucked one out of it's place and flipped the cover open. Inside, inscribed in a childish hand, was the message "For My Beloved Papa on Father's Day, Raylyn" in French. A memory of the day she gave it to him niggled in his mind but he could not grasp it fully. Instead he savored the emotions that it stirred and put the book back.  
He paced to the bedroom and for a second considered the bed that was very much large enough for two. He had a moment's apprehension about the fact that Beverly would very likely expect him to sleep with her in it, considering they were married here, but he pushed it away. He would deal with that when the time came. He turned and found a large portrait on the wall. It was a good photo, framed in what looked like hand worked silver and cherry wood. It was the Picard Family, as it stood now. Beverly, himself, Wesley and Raylyn. Jean-Luc found it astounding that, when standing right next to each other, Wesley and Raylyn really could pass for siblings. It was obvious who the elder was, Raylyn, but even with her nose there was something about the two of them that seemed related. Perhaps it was not so much their outward appearance, but their personalities, which shone through their eyes, even in the photo. The four of them looked exceedingly happy.  
There were more pictures, smaller, that sat in various frames on the small table under the large portrait. Jean-Luc picked them up, each in turn, and studied them, trying to piece together a history that he could not remember.  
The first was a wedding photo, of Will and Raylyn. They both looked so much younger, beaming faces and clutched hands. Then a photo of Raylyn and Wesley. Beverly must have gone to some lengths to make sure they felt like a family and Jean-Luc almost wished Wesley were aboard so that he could see first hand how successful she had been. There were also photos of he and Robert, another of Wesley, Raylyn and Renee and another of Beverly and Jean-Luc outside what Jean-Luc recognized as his family home in France. There were several others, mostly candid shots, probably taken on the holideck, a beach scene and a horseback expedition. The final one was something Jean-Luc took great interest in, for it was his own wedding photo. Beverly's hair was pulled back but not up and it was much longer than she had worn it in years. She hadn't gone for stark white, but a cream colored dress which complimented her coloring much more. He was, of course, in a dress uniform, which, thankfully, only had a stripe of that odd green which did so little for him. But they both looked every bit as happy and almost as youthfully carefree as Raylyn and Will in their wedding photo.  
Jean-Luc set the framed picture down and opened the closet. A strange mixture of the scent he knew Beverly wore and the aftershave that he used wafted out. His closet seemed much fuller with Beverly's clothes packed in next to his. Likewise the vanity was merged, her hair brush sitting next to his razor, her earrings next to a pair of cufflinks he didn't recognize.  
He turned and went back to the front room. His tea had gone cold while he inspected his new environment, but it didn't bother him. He had just sat down when a chime alerted him to a visitor.  
"Come!" Raylyn appeared. Jean-Luc took a deep breath and set aside the book he had selected.  
"Raylyn" he said, standing. She smiled hesitantly.  
"How is your work going?" she asked.  
"Well" Jean-Luc nodded, "Many incidents happened the very way I remember them" Raylyn nodded slowly.  
"Good" she said. An awkward moment of silence insued.  
"Do you have any questions?" she finally asked quietly and Jean-Luc knew she wasn't referring to the mission. He took a deep breath.  
"Actually I do" he answered and took a step toward the replicator.  
"Earl Grey" Raylyn said with a mischievous smile, "For some bizarre reason I knew you were going to ask" Jean-Luc smiled. It was his habit. He handed her her cup of tea and they sat down.  
"Well, what did Q tell you?" she asked, her legs crossed the exact way his were.  
"We..hit the highlights" Jean-Luc replied, "But I know nothing in general. For instance, where did I meet your mother?"  
"Oi! Q! I'll start from the beginning" Jean-Luc sat back while she spoke, learning about a life he could've, or had, lived.  
He had met Chaza Troi (who by Betazoid tradition had taken her older sister's name) when she was studying at the University of Earth in San Fransisco while he was going to the Academy. They had never married, but they had continued their relationship as he worked his way up the ladder. Raylyn had been born on Batezed. She stayed with her mother, who was an artist, while Jean-Luc traversed the stars.  
When Raylyn was two, however, Chaza was killed when a transport vehicle crashed into a museum she was displaying an exhibit in. Jean-Luc would have, of course, taken his daughter but at the time he was not serving on a family ship and so Lwaxana had taken the child to raise with her two girls, Kestra and Deanna.  
Raylyn had apparently spent her childhood going back and forth between Betazoid and whatever ship her father was working on.  
When he had taken command of the Stargazer, however, he took her for good. She was already in her teens, but she greatly enjoyed being with her father. She told him about her teenage escapades, most of which landed her or somebody else in trouble.  
"Aunt Lwaxana says I'm too much like you" she laughed, "Always so reckless, taking charge of everything, always after some 'old rocks' or some new 'science experiment' "  
"Really?" Jean-Luc chuckled with her.  
"Mmm. It sometimes annoys Will. When I start quoting Shakespeare or Milton at him. We had to overcome it by both developing a passionate obsession with Jazz" she laughed.  
"How long have you been married?" Jean-Luc asked, suddenly serious again. Raylyn raised her eyebrows.  
"Seven years!" she said with an inward smile.  
"Seven years" Jean-Luc repeated. He was on the verge of asking another question when Raylyn's badge beeped.  
"Commander, could you come back down here? We've run into a problem" Geordi's voice asked.  
"Sure. On my way" Raylyn answered. Jean-Luc walked her to the door.  
"I'll see you tonight, Papa!" she told him with a kiss for his cheek. He nodded but it wasn't until after the doors had closed and she was well gone that he realized he didn't know why he was seeing her tonight. 


	7. Family Dinners

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
"Jean-Luc"  
"Beverly" She seemed in a rush as she brushed past Jean-Luc and into the bathroom area. She immediately began pulling the pins out of her hair while smiling back at him through the mirror.  
"How was your day?" she asked.  
"Fine. Raylyn stopped by not too long ago and we had a pleasant chat" he answered.  
"That's good" Beverly said and started to disrobe. Aware that the Picard she knew would obviously not be uncomfortable standing around while she undressed, he tried to act non-chalant and at the same time not look. He went to his desk and pretended to be organizing the PADDs that he had been making notes on. The talks would begin in two weeks, which left little time for him to become familiar with years of history. Mr. Data had been appraised of the situation, as had Geordi but no one else, and they had developed a schedule which would allow both the Captain and the android plenty of time for both study and bridge duty.  
"Jean-Luc will you please start ordering dinner? I'm sorry I'm so late, Barclay came into Sickbay just as I was on my way out!" Beverly requested from the shower.  
"Yes, of course. What would you like?" he asked, grateful to have an occupation to keep his mind off of the shower and the bed.  
"I think we're supposed to be having spaghetti" his "wife" answered, now stepping out of the shower, "Raylyn's recipe, she doesn't care for mine" Jean-Luc tried hard not to stare at Beverly, who was only now wrapping a towel about herself. Her hair was still dripping, hanging down her back in strings. Her long legs were well exposed by the towel, as was her upper back and bare arms. Jean-Luc had never seen her so...unclothed. He inwardly shook himself and tried to focus.  
"Raylyn?" he asked. She was drying her hair with the aid of a blow- dryer, a piece of feminine equipment Jean-Luc had little experience with.  
"Yes. Oh, you don't know! They come for dinner every Monday, Wednesday and Friday" Beverly told him quickly. Her hair dry, she was sorting through the closet for an appropriate outfit.  
"They should be here any minute! I could strangle Barclay!" She finally selected something, mauve colored outfit, and quickly began to don it. Jean-Luc turned to the replicator and began to order enough spaghetti for four. The door chimed just as Beverly slipped her foot into her shoe.  
"Come in!" she called pleasantly, as if she'd been completely ready for a good 20 minutes. Jean-Luc turned to greet his daughter and Will and almost didn't catch the blur that ran in through the doors and immediately hid itself behind the couch, where Jean-Luc couldn't see it.  
"John William Riker, I've just about had enough of you!" Raylyn cried, exasperation flooding her voice. She was dressed all in dark purple, a color that matched her complexion perfectly. She rolled her eyes as she crossed to Jean-Luc and gave him another kiss on the cheek. She apparently did that quite often. Jean-Luc found it rather pleasant, if he were to be totally honest with himself.  
"Come sit with Granma, J.W." Beverly held her arms out as she seated herself on the long couch beneath the window. Will came in behind Raylyn and squeezed her shoulder to show his support. Raylyn shook her head and went to join Beverly, who was now holding a small boy on her lap.  
A new sense of wonderment hit Jean-Luc. He was a grandfather? He almost laughed with the joy of it all. This alternate world Q had dumped him in was in every way Jean-Luc's dream world. He was commander of the Enterprise, a leading figure in Starfleet, he was happily married to Beverly and he had a daughter, who was happily married to the one person (other than Beverly of course) that Jean-Luc could truly call his best friend. And now he had a grandson. It was like a cherry atop his favorite sundae.  
"John William?" he asked quietly of Will, who was still standing by the replicator with him.  
"Mmm. Ray wanted to name him Jean-Luc, I of course wanted to name him William Thomas. We compromised" Will smiled lopsidedly. Jean-Luc took a breath and crossed the room to where the boy was struggling now to get away from his "Granma". He could not have been older than three, Jean-Luc would put him at 2 and a half. He looked remarkably like Will, except, his nose was more like his mother's, and in turn Jean-Luc's. And he appeared to have a healthy dose of both parents determination, for he finally won loose of his grandmother's strong hold.  
And ran straight into Jean-Luc's legs.  
"Good evening, J.W." Jean-Luc said seriously, though inside he was grinning. J.W. looked up and scrunched his brow up. Jean-Luc recognized the look of someone who knew they'd just made a mistake.  
"Have you been giving your mother trouble?" Jean-Luc inquired. J.W. took a moment to consider, then started to shake his head, all the while looking up at his grandfather's face. Jean-Luc raised a brow. J.W. quickly turned the shake into a nod.  
"Well, you had better shape up, or may not get any desert tonight" the Captain told the small boy. He was still uncomfortable with children, but after five years aboard a ship full of them he was getting better at it. Besides which, for some reason, he found it immensely less unpleasant to deal with his own offspring (once removed) than he would have expected. The thought that perhaps he hadn't been such a bad parent seeped into his head and gave him a measure of comfort.  
"Papa, I'd love a glass of Merlot" Raylyn requested. Jean-Luc raised a brow. He was about to head to the replicator, Will having scooped up his young son, when Raylyn stopped him.  
"No. The real thing" Very few people knew that Jean-Luc kept a few bottles of wine from his family vineyard in his cabin. He supposed, however, he would share such a fact with his family and so he headed to his "hiding place."  
"J.W., why don't you play with your toys until dinner's ready?" Will suggested. J.W. toddled over to the far end of the couch and drug out a wicker basket full of play things. He obviously spent a lot of time with his grandparents. Jean-Luc settled next to Beverly as the child's parents settled into the love seat facing the couch, Raylyn sipping her wine wistfully.  
"Do you know we had to have Geordi install force fields around his bed so he wouldn't break his neck falling out of it?" Raylyn told them with a tired sigh. Will wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head against his shoulder.  
"Rough day?" Beverly asked gently, with a knowing smile. Jean-Luc wondered what she knew, and Will looked like he was in the dark.  
"I'm fine, Mom" Raylyn answered, "Geordi, Data and I had a hard time with the overhaul and this whole business with the Cardassians! I'm just tired" Beverly nodded, a secret smile on her lips.  
"Why don't you come down to sick bay tomorrow? I'll make sure you're not coming down with something" Raylyn nodded silently. Just then the replicator chimed, announcing that dinner was ready. They all took their places, J.W. between Beverly and Raylyn. The evening proved to be a learning experience for Jean-Luc, who was unfamiliar with the tendencies of small children to make noise and mess. The little man made quite a mess of his spaghetti and Jean-Luc could tell that by the end of the evening Raylyn was ready to lock him in his room for the rest of the mission. Will must've noticed too because he was the one to deal with the rambunctious tyke, who was squalling about wanting to stay with "Grandpapa and Granma" as the young family headed down the corridor to their own quarters.  
Beverly sighed as she began to clear the table.  
"He's become such a handful every since he turned two!" she said needlessly, "Wesley was never that much trouble" Jean-Luc chuckled.  
"I have a feeling that Raylyn was. It runs in my family. For that matter, so probably was Will. J.W. has been double doused" Beverly chuckled too.  
"Yes, I suppose he has. I'm just glad it was just the four of us tonight. He would have gone absolutely bananas if the rest had been here!" Beverly said.  
"The rest?" Jean-Luc looked up startled. Beverly was looking for a book, but she paused her search and looked back at him.  
"Yes. Family dinners means the entire family" she told him with that mischievous smile of hers, "Deanna and Wyatt, plus their four year old triplets, Ian, Andrew and Ana, and since Lwaxana's on board she would have of course come. If Wesley were here he'd come of course, and Jason too, but he's usually so busy on Kamor. And then Data and Laal. Sometimes Guinan even comes. A lot of the time we just go to the holideck so we can have more space! Oh and you should see it when we're on Betazed, with Kestra and all of her kids, even when we visit Robert on Earth we have a hard time finding a table we all fit at"  
Jean-Luc almost didn't take it all in. He had to think second to sort out all of the names she'd said. Wyatt would most likely be Wyatt Miller, the man that Deanna had been betrothed to since she was very young.(Jean- Luc wondered about that situation. It had gone very differently in his reality. He again wondered if Deanna and Will were Imazadi here) They had triplets, Beverly had said, Ian, Andrew and Ana. Lwaxana was Jean-Luc's sister in law, and hence apparently part of the family. Those people he could understand, his daughter had been raised in the Troi household. Raylyn very likely considered Deanna her sister and most likely Lwaxana as a mother, though she called Beverly Mom and Lwaxana Aunt. Wesley was, of course, part of the family and would be included in a family dinner, but...  
"Jason?" "You're son, with a woman named Miranda Vigo. It happened after Chaza had died, when you were on shore leave on Earth" Beverly told him, "Fortunately, the Klingon ship bringing the Ambassadors was going through the Kamor system and you were able to get him a ride, so he'll arrive with them." He had a son as well? Did the wonders never end? "Miranda?" Jean-Luc wanted to contemplate that but there were other questions to ask. "Data and Laal?" Jean-Luc asked. Beverly had abandoned the idea of a book and was pulling her pajamas on. Jean-Luc followed suit.  
"Well, he did formally request to adopt you as a father after he created Laal. He wanted a larger family for her" Beverly said and slid into the bed, "He's doing so well with her, she's come so far" Jean-Luc mindlessly slipped into the bed next to her.  
"I didn't realize my family had enlarged so much" he told her, mulling it all over in his head. There were.what? Seventeen that Beverly had mentioned, and those were just those that he regularly associated with? For a man who was used to a solitary kind of life it all sounded..loud. And messy. And probably a good deal confusing.  
"Don't worry" Beverly laid a hand on his heart as she snuggled closer to him, "You do a marvelous job of it all"  
And it wasn't until 20 minutes later when Beverly was sound asleep that Jean-Luc realized he didn't feel at all uncomfortable next to her. 


	8. Jason

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
"Captain" Mr. Data nodded from his position at the security panel as the Captain stepped off the turbolift.  
"Mr. Data" Jean-Luc nodded back, "Status?"  
"We will rendezvous with the Ambassador's ship in 36 minutes, sir" Data answered. Jean-Luc nodded and tugged on the bottom of his uniform as he walked down the incline towards the screen which showed the stars that were flying by. He took a moment to survey the bridge, glad to see everybody was busy working and everything seemed to be going as it should.  
"Commander, can I see you in my ready room for a moment?" he asked of Raylyn, who was sitting where his Data normally sat.  
"Aye, sir" she nodded curtly and stood.  
"Number One, you have the bridge. Alert me when the Ambassador's are ready to beam over" Jean-Luc ordered as he led his daughter to his ready room.  
"Something to drink?" he asked when the doors had closed.  
"No, thank you, sir" she answered. She was extremely formal while on duty. Jean-Luc imagined it must be difficult, especially for the three highest ranking officers on board, to appropriately separate their personal lives and their professional. They apparently managed it, but he sincerely hoped that while he was here, he would not be forced to order any member of his family (and oddly enough he did very much consider them family) into any dangerous circumstance. He was not entirely sure he'd be able to make such a command. And he didn't like to contemplate that. There was, however, a different reason he was speaking to his daughter.  
"I find myself in need of information" he told her as he sat down behind his desk. This room, at least, was exactly as it had always been. Raylyn straightened in her seat and nodded.  
"Aye, sir" she said, "What do you need?" Jean-Luc sighed. He did not like having so many questions.  
"I have just been told that there will be another man beaming over with the Ambassadors" he started. Raylyn looked surprised. Which surprised Jean-Luc. Surely she would know that he had a son. Or had he just dreamt what Beverly had said? For that matter, was he dreaming this whole thing?  
"I need to know who Jason Vigo is" he finished. Raylyn's eyes grew to the size of saucers and a wide grin cracked across her face.  
"Jace? Jace is coming here?" she laughed out loud, "Papa! You didn't tell me! This is so great!" Jean-Luc had the distinct impression that had a desk not been separating them she would have hugged him. Again.  
"You have a good relationship with him?" Jean-Luc inquired.  
"Oh, yeah" Raylyn nodded, hiding some her exuberance behind her professional mask, "His mother, Miranda, was fiercely independent and insisted on raising him on her own, but she recognized that you had a right to at least be in his life. Sometimes, if you could work it out, he'd visit you on your ship. A lot of those times coincided with the times I was able to get to visit, so you could say we grew up together in a manner of speaking. He's...oh...four years younger than I am, but we've always been close. He's my little brother."  
"Why did no one mention him before now?" Jean-Luc asked passionately. Knowing the condition he was in, he still wondered why no one had not simply sat down with him and gone over everything he didn't know. Concise, all at once. It would have, he acknowledged, perhaps been a bit much. Raylyn, and Deanna too, being empathic, probably would have objected, even if he had asked.  
"Oh, Papa" she sighed, "We see him so little anymore! I simply didn't think of it"  
"Your mother mentioned that he lived on Kamor" Jean-Luc said. A harsh planet, with very little government and a lot of problems due to the Cardassian war. Was it the same here?  
"Yes. Kamor V was ravaged by the war with the Borg. They survived, but just barely. The planet is...well wild. When Miranda heard about all the children who had been orphaned, she packed up and left. She organized an orphanage and ran the entire thing herself. There were...oh at least 50 kids there. She took care of every need and a few of the older ones have already grown into strong political leaders who will, hopefully, turn the planet around" Raylyn leaned back as she told the story. Jean-Luc watched her face. Her expressions changed as she spoke and Jean-Luc knew she probably told excellent bed time stories.  
"When Miranda died, Jason took over. He was barely 15, but he was of legal age on Kamor. He's a damned good liar and a talented thief. He inherited Miranda's independence and stubbornness, and the Picard pride and intelligence. He turned his skills to good use and has been running the orphanage ever since. He had a hard time of it at first, adults trying to push him out, take away the lives his mother worked so hard to carve out for those kids. But he wouldn't let them. Now he's a leading member of the community. Well, more like the king tiger in a den of lions." Now she grinned again and slapped her knee, "I can't believe he's going to be here!"  
"He sounds like a wonderful man" Jean-Luc admitted, "Why are there no photos of him in my quarters, with the rest?"  
"Well, like I said, he's not around much. He couldn't even make it to your wedding, though he was there for mine. Come to think of it, I probably haven't actually seen him in at least two years. I took some leave just after J.W. was born and we went to Kamor but that was the last time" Jean- Luc nodded and faded off into thought. It was disturbing having to ask question after question every time something new came up. He had a son, as well as a daughter? He remembered Miranda Vigo well. She was exactly as Raylyn had described her. Their relationship had been short, but passionate. He was surprised to hear that he'd fathered her son, but he knew it was possible. It raised questions about his own reality. Had he fathered her son there, as well? A son he didn't know about? Would she have taken that boy to Kamor? How would he ever know? Raylyn had described a person Jean-Luc would be nothing but proud to have as a son, but what was he like? There were so many unknowns in this equation that Jean-Luc knew he would not find any answers until the universe gave them to him. And he didn't like that either, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had to do his best to perform for these people and not mess up their lives. He was coming up to date on the recent history which would no doubt be meshed over during the peace talks. He would be able to hold his own. But it wasn't the peace talks he was worried about. It was everything else.  
"Papa?" Raylyn's voice brought him back to the present, "You've drifted off"  
"I was contemplating the universe" he admitted. She grinned.  
"Which one?" she asked with a quirk of her brow that Jean-Luc deftly defined as Will Riker's influence.  
"Sir" her husband's voice announced, "The Ambassador's are ready to beam over" Jean-Luc followed Raylyn to the bridge.  
"Number One, Mr. Data, you're with me. You have the bridge, Deanna" Troi nodded and the four of them went to the transporter room where Beverly was already awaiting them. Chief O'Brien was waiting for the signal behind the transporter console.  
"Energize, Chief" Jean-Luc ordered and steeled himself for the sight of Worf as an Ambassador. Three figures materialized on the platform and Jean-Luc recognized all of them.  
"Ambassador Worf" he nodded solemnly. Worf was a stickler for tradition.  
"I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Welcome on board" Worf, large and scowling as ever, nodded back as he stepped down.  
"Thank you, Captain. This is my mate, Ambassador Ka'lar" He motioned towards Ka'lar, who was not in Klingon dignitary garb as was her husband.  
"Captain" the lovely woman nodded back, the hint of a smile that always seemed to be on her lips softening her demeanor. Ka'lar was half human, he knew, and he assumed from the light tone of her skin and the softness of her forehead ridges that she was here too. He wondered if Worf had grown up on Earth, but he daren't ask.  
"This is our son, Alexander" Ka'lar introduced the small boy, just as Picard remembered him, as he followed his parents off the transporter pad.  
"A pleasure" the Captain said, "Let me introduce you to my first officer, Commander William Riker" Will nodded, "My second officer, Raylyn Picard-Riker" Ray nodded, "My Chief of Security, Lieutenant Commander Data, and my Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Beverly Crusher" He had to remember to ask Beverly why she still went by Crusher.  
The Ambassadors greeted each of them.  
"We're told" Ka'lar said before Worf could stop her, "That the Enterprise is dominated by one family. Is that right?" Raylyn and Will exchanged a look.  
"I'm not sure 'dominated' is the correct word" Jean-Luc answered, "But it is true that my command crew is largely constructed of members of my family" He nodded towards Raylyn, "Commander Picard-Riker is my daughter, Commander Riker is her husband" He turned the other way, "Dr. Crusher is my wife, Mr. Data is my adopted son, and our Ship's Councilor, Lieutenant Commander Deanna Troi is my niece"  
"How interesting" Ka'lar noted. Worf was bristling.  
"We will have a meeting with the other Ambassadors later, but for now, Mr. Data will show you to your quarters" Jean-Luc told them quickly and then nodded at Data who led the Ambassador's away. Raylyn and Will immediately laughed as the doors swished shut again.  
"What was that all about?" Jean-Luc demanded.  
"Some people don't like the fact that the Federation's flag ship is controlled by one family" Beverly told him, "They think we're in a position to greatly influence the Federation Council and some of the more drastic ones think we're trying to turn the Federation into a dictatorship" Jean- Luc almost laughed. It would be impossible for even an entire family to do such a thing. Then again, never say never.  
"Sir, Mr. Vigo is ready to transport" Chief O'Brien told him. Ah, yes. Jason. Jean-Luc took another deep breath and made ready to greet his son.  
"Jace!" Raylyn shouted and didn't even wait for the young man to step of the transporter. Jason laughed loudly and twirled his older, but somewhat smaller, sister around.  
"Hey, sis!" he laughed, "How're you!"  
"I can't believe you're here!" she squealed like a little girl. Jason laughed again and stepped away. Jean-Luc got a good look at him. He looked so much like Miranda. He had not inherited the Picard nose, but there was something about the strength of his chin. He grinned and stepped down.  
"Hey, Dad" he said and swung an arm about the Captain. Jean-Luc was slowly getting used to all this touching. He thumped his son's back, but said nothing. Jason stepped away.  
"Hey, Will, how you taken care of my sister" he asked with a smile as he shook his brother-in-law's hand.  
"I like to think I do a good job of it" Will answered with a smile. Jason turned the other way and put a kiss on his step mother's cheek.  
"Lo, Bev. How're you?" Beverly gripped his hands and smiled.  
"I'm good. How're you, taking care of yourself?"  
"You know it" Jason glanced about, "Where's Deanna?"  
"She's on the bridge, but don't worry" Raylyn said, "It's a Monday. Family dinner tonight" She took his elbow and started leading him towards his quarters.  
"I can hardly wait!" Jason laughed, "Are those terrors of hers still causing the world grief?"  
"You know it" Will answered with a laugh, "And ours isn't doing so bad for himself either"  
"Oh no! How is J.W. anyway?" Jason asked. Jean-Luc was trailing along behind, content to watch the show. He was amazed by how well everyone got along. Beverly seemed very affectionate towards a young man that she might barely know, Will obviously liked him and Raylyn was nothing less than entranced with her younger half brother. Jean-Luc wondered if Wesley adored him half as much. And what relationship did he have with Deanna? He had asked about her. Which brought to mind her husband, Wyatt, who Jean-Luc had not seen yet. He wondered how they all meshed. And then he remembered what Raylyn had said just a moment ago. It was a Monday. He had not had to work through a full "family dinner" as of yet for he had woken up here on a Friday and they did not have them on Saturdays and Sundays. But they did on Mondays. He would have all the chance he needed to study how the large, extended family interacted.  
It made him quiver slightly. Raylyn glanced back at him. He smiled and she went back to her discussion.  
"How long can you stay, Jason?" Beverly was asking.  
"At least a few weeks" the young man, Raylyn had said he was 21, answered, "I left Mecca in charge"  
"Really?" Will raised a brow. Jean-Luc didn't know who Mecca was.  
"She's grown into quite a woman" Jason told his brother-in-law.  
"Really?" Raylyn quirked a brow now, a look different from her husband's on her face.  
"Hey! No fair!" Jason wiggled a finger at his sister.  
"What? I'm not doing anything" Raylyn tried to hide her knowing smile but she wasn't quite successful. They had by this time reached the quarters assigned to Jason and all filed inside. They were nice, certainly more than the Enterprise generally assigned civilian guests of little consequence. But then, the Captain's son was of consequence.  
"What time is dinner?" Jason was asking, flopping his bag on a chair  
"7:30" Will answered, "In holideck five" Jason gave him a quick look.  
"Who's here, other than me?"  
"Aunt Lwaxana" Raylyn told him with a roll of her eyes. Jason laughed. Jean-Luc sighed.  
"I am sorry" he said aloud to draw their attention, "But I have a meeting with the Ambassador's to prepare for"  
"Oh, sure Dad" Jason swung a hand out and Jean-Luc shook it, "I'll see you for dinner" Jean-Luc nodded and left the rest of the family to reacquaint with Jason Vigo, son of Jean-Luc Picard. 


	9. The Ambassadors

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
"Ah, Jean-Luc, at last!" Lwaxana Troi cooed as Jean-Luc strode through the door to the large conference room on the 3rd deck.  
"Forgive me for being late" Jean-Luc nodded at the assembled, "My son recently arrived on board"  
"Of course" Lwaxana waved a hand as if dismissing a servant, then she smiled broadly. Jean-Luc steeled himself for a tirade but she said nothing more. Surprised, he took a seat at the head of the table. He had never been in her presence when she was working as an Ambassador. Was it possible she controlled her instinctive arrogance at a conference table? If she did, he made note to always have a conference table between the two of them. Raylyn and Will ambled in behind him. They had agreed to come to this part of the meeting, where Jean-Luc would have to admit to his fellow delegates what condition he was really in.  
"Captain Picard" a low voice Jean-Luc knew well said, "A pleasure to see you again" Spock sat with his fingers steepled, a look of pure non- emotion on his face. He was a good actor.  
"Ambassador Spock" Jean-Luc nodded back, "Always an honor." The Enterprise's mission to rescue Spock from Romulus had cumulated in so much more here than it had in his native reality. The differences between the Romulan Empire and the Klingon Empire and between the Romulans and Vulcans and the Federation had all been overcome. The Romulans had not rejoined the Vulcan's, nor had they taken up the Vulcan way of suppressing their emotions, and Jean-Luc was not privy to all the details. He knew, however, that things had been...settled. The Klingons still distrusted the Romulans, and vice versa, but they were willing to work together, when necessitated. The Romulans had allied themselves with the Federation, but it was a loose affiliation.  
"Allow me to introduce the Klingon delegates, Ambassadors Worf and Ka'lar" Worf grunted and Ka'lar nodded serenely.  
"Ambassador T'auri has not joined us" Spock observed.  
"Yes. I had something which I preferred to present to you before the Romulan Ambassador joins us" The loose affiliation the Romulans preferred worried Jean-Luc. He did not want to reveal his weakness to their representative.  
Lwaxana was giving him a look. She of course, being part of his family, knew everything already.  
"I'm afraid we have all been put in an difficult position" Jean-Luc told them, "An entity known as Q, a nearly all-powerful being, has displaced me"  
"Displaced you?" Ka'lar repeated as a question.  
"Q took him from his native reality and planted him in ours" Will told them bluntly. They got different reactions.  
"Fascinating" from Spock. A grunt from Worf.  
"What does that mean?" from Ka'lar.  
"It means that, I am not the Jean-Luc Picard that is most familiar with the circumstances of this universe" Jean-Luc said.  
"The Cardassians will not talk if you are not there" Worf said gruffly.  
"The Cardassians are obstinate people" Spock agreed.  
"This does not mean that I can not act as Earth's delegate" Jean-Luc said, "I have been studying your recent history and I will be ready for the talks"  
"With a working knowledge of two weeks?" Ka'lar objected with a small chuckle to soften the blow, "Sorry Captain, but I don't see how. You can't possibly be familiar with everything that has happened in two weeks"  
"Nonsense" Lwaxana piped up, "Jean-Luc will be perfectly ready"  
"The events leading up to these circumstances vary only by a fraction of a degree from the events that have occurred in my own reality" Jean-Luc told them, "For the most part, I am already familiar with the events."  
"Q assured us he could to the job" Raylyn told them.  
"It is illogical to take the word of the being who instigated this problem" Spock replied.  
"Maybe, but we don't have much choice do we?" Raylyn responded, "The Cardassians specifically requested Captain Picard and they aren't going to talk without him. If he doesn't show up with the rest of you they may just get offended and withdraw."  
"That would be most unfortunate"  
"Oh, Mr. Spock you have a gift for understatement!" Lwaxana blustered, "We all know it would be disastrous! The Borg are at war with the Dominion at the moment, but you know who ever comes out on top is going to come after us next. Whether it's the Dominion or the Borg makes little difference. We need the allies" Jean-Luc had read up on the Dominion. They used grown soldiers called Jem'Hadar to fight their battles. The Jem'Hadar were completely single minded and specifically designed for fighting. And since all the Dominion had to do was to grow more when needed, they were nearly unstoppable. While Jean-Luc was enjoying the pleasures of having a large family he knew this reality was in immense danger. A danger he could hopefully help to alleviate.  
"The war between them is severely damaging both sides" Ka'lar noted.  
"The loser will be defeated" Worf added, "And the victor will be weak"  
"It is illogical to assume that, Mr. Worf" Spock objected, "We can not know how their war will turn out"  
"At the moment, what we need to worry about is the talks with the Cardassians" Jean-Luc interrupted, "Now, it is apparent that the Captain of the Enterprise must be there, and unless Q decides to replace me with the Jean-Luc Picard native to this reality, I am the one who is going to have to do it"  
"A logical conclusion" Spock commented.  
"For my part, I will be as familiar as possible with everything I need to know. Mr. Data is assisting me in my research, as are Commanders Riker and Picard-Riker" Jean-Luc said.  
"What do you need from us, Captain?" Lwaxana asked, as it didn't appear Ka'lar or Worf were going to.  
"There is unfortunately a margin for error" Jean-Luc said, "I thought it best that you all know the circumstances. If, during the talks, I do or say something which is...wrong...it may be up to one of you to stop me and fix the damage."  
"Lets hope that doesn't happen" Ka'lar said, "I get the feeling the Cardassians won't take kindly to any 'mistakes'"  
"Agreed" Jean-Luc said, "Now, I think Ambassador T'auri should be joining us in a moment. Do you think it prudent to inform her as well?"  
"No!" Worf said immediately, "She will only perceive it as a weakness"  
"I agree with Ambassador Worf" Spock said.  
"The woman is insufferable" Lwaxana started, "She'd probably insist that you not go, Jean-Luc" The Captain nodded. Then he had done the right thing.  
"If you don't need us for anything then?" Will asked. None of the Ambassador's said anything and so Will and Raylyn left. Ambassador T'auri walked in before the doors had even closed.  
"Ambassador T'auri" Jean-Luc said as he stood and made the appropriate introductions. T'auri was a typical Romulan, abrupt and defensive. A grueling three hours later she all but stomped out of the conference room. They had all been ordered to work together, to agree to the same set of terms. The meeting was so they could all agree on what they would ask of the Cardassians, and what they would give. T'auri had been voted down on a number of demands the Romulans wished to make, which were extensive, and to what extent the allies would grant the demands of the Cardassians, which the Romulans had set in a very narrow set of parameters. Jean-Luc felt drained, but he knew this was all just a prelude to what was coming. He still had two weeks to prepare.  
"What an insufferable woman!" Lwaxana immediately declared. Jean-Luc privately agreed with her. All of the delegates stood and stretched their legs. Lwaxana immediately fell to idle chit-chat, not something Spock nor either of the Klingons was particularly interested in.  
"Indeed?" Spock raised a brow at some comment Jean-Luc had missed.  
"You should come to dinner tonight, Mr. Spock!" Lwaxana suggested boisterously, "And you too!" She flipped a hand at Ka'lar, "You can bring your son! He'll love it, we're having it in the holideck. The children will love to have a new playmate!"  
"We'd be delighted" Ka'lar accepted, though Worf didn't look delighted. Spock nodded his acceptance as well.  
"Ah, good! Come along, Jean-Luc, I'm famished!" Lwaxana wrapped her arm through his and started leading him away.  
"If you'll excuse us" Jean-Luc had time to say before they had unceremoniously left the rest of the ambassadors.  
She led him to Ten-Forward. There weren't too many crewmembers around as it was the middle of a shift. Jean-Luc was thankful for that at least. He did not often spend much time in Ten-Forward, and he preferred that there were not many people to witness whatever debolcle Lwaxana would make of him over lunch.  
"Can I get you something?" a gentle voice asked when they had seated themselves.  
"Guinan" Jean-Luc breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her comforting face.  
"Captain." she replied with a small nod, "Ambassador. What can I get for you?"  
"I would love a bowl of Dubarian pasta" Lwaxana told her, "And a glass of Betazoid Champaign"  
"Ah, fettuccini, please Guinan, and a cup of tea?" Jean-Luc added. The always serene woman nodded and went off to collect their orders.  
"Now, Jean-Luc, what did you think of Jason?" Lwaxana demanded.  
"He seems a fine young man" Jean-Luc answered.  
"A bit wild, rough around the edges, but then Kamor is wildly unsophisticated" Lwaxana ranted, "Amazing Miranda did just a good job with him as she did. Not that you didn't have a hand in it, my dear Jean-Luc. Who knows what would have happened to the boy if it hadn't been for those trips into civilization when he was a child? Raylyn would always come back with fantasies of being a little hooligan just like him. The trouble she would drag Deanna into after those visits!" She was talking aimlessly and Jean-Luc let her. At least she wasn't embarrassing him.  
"Here you are" Guinan said a few moments later when she set plates and glasses in front of them.  
"Thank you Guinan" Lwaxana said, surprising Jean-Luc. She had said it with the utmost respect. Beverly had mentioned that Guinan sometimes joined them for their family dinners and so the two older women were probably at least acquainted. But the respect that resonated in Lwaxana's voice Jean- Luc recognized as the kind of respect only those who were familiar with how wise Guinan actually was had.  
"Your welcome, Lwaxana. How is Kestra?" Guinan inquired.  
"She's wonderful!" Lwaxana told her, "Michaela has started walking. We may have to hire another maid to keep an eye on her. Kestra won't be able to control the girl in her condition. She's due in four months!"  
"Each of the older ones had guards, didn't they?" Guinan asked. Lwaxana nodded.  
"We're hoping we won't need another one. Out of seven children you'd think one of them could be tame!" Apparently Kestra's (seven?!) children had a penchant for hurting themselves. Were any of the younglings in his family tame? Jean-Luc wondered. Guinan smiled the way she did and turned to the Captain.  
"I hear Jason has come" she said. Jean-Luc nodded.  
"I haven't seen him in years. How is he?" she inquired.  
"Well, I guess" Jean-Luc answered. He couldn't say more. Guinan knew about his odd predicament, she had figured it out herself. She still didn't much care for Q.  
"You're coming to dinner tonight, aren't you dear?" Lwaxana wanted to know as she ate her pasta.  
"I wouldn't miss it" Guinan smiled and walked away. Jean-Luc would have called it a mischievous smile. 


	10. Cowards

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
"Ready?" Beverly smiled and headed for the door. Jean-Luc couldn't move.  
"Wait, Beverly" he called. She halted and turned around.  
"What?"  
"I...I can't go" he said. What the hell was he saying? He sounded like some damned coward.  
Okay so he was scared. Nothing wrong with that. Who wouldn't be afraid of being faced with such an occasion?  
Coward. Damn.  
"What do you mean you can't go?" Beverly asked playfully. She knew exactly what he was feeling. Damn she knew him too well.  
"I..." Jean-Luc didn't know what to say. He felt ill prepared to deal with this all. He still had too many questions running around in his head. What was the deal between Wyatt and Deanna, between Deanna and Will? Was Laal going to call him 'Grandfather'? Why did Lwaxana respect Guinan so much? Who was Kestra married to? Was Jason going to know what was going on?  
  
"What is it Jean-Luc?" Beverly probed in her Doctor's voice.  
"I have some questions" he finally admitted.  
"Shoot" Beverly flopped on the couch and waited. Jean-Luc tugged the bottom of his shirt. Where did he start?  
"In my reality...Deanna never marries Wyatt" he started, "I don't really know anything about him"  
"Ah" Beverly drew her legs up to her chest, "Well, he's a medical doctor, one of the finest research doctors in Starfleet"  
"He's in Starfleet?" Jean-Luc asked, surprised. Beverly nodded.  
"Yep. He has his labs on the Enterprise so that he can be with Deanna and the kids" she told him, "He did his internship on Betazed and he and Deanna fell in love, which worked out nicely since they were already bonded. It was around the same time that Will and Raylyn were there. Deanna and Wyatt married a year after Will and Raylyn"  
"And Will and Deanna?" Jean-Luc pressed. He couldn't think of a delicate way to ask his question.  
"They get along great" Beverly said, "Deanna's practically Raylyn's sister"  
"But that's it? There's nothing more between them?"  
"Jean-Luc what do you want to know?" Beverly asked back. Jean-Luc took a deep breath.  
"They are not..Imzadi?" Beverly laughed.  
"No! Deanna and Raylyn are. It's annoying sometimes, really. One of them will just take off for the other" Jean-Luc nodded. This relieved some anxiety he'd been having.  
"Was that what you were so worried about?" his wife asked.  
"Largely" Jean-Luc admitted, "Does Jason....does he know?" Beverly nodded.  
"Ray told him. Don't worry so much" she stood and held her hand out. He took it and they went to the turbo lift. Beverly checked the program console when they reached the holideck.  
"Everyone's here already" she told him and walked towards the doors, which automatically opened for her. A soft ocean breeze wafted out, carrying the soft strains of a quietly playing jazz tune. The loud, abrasive sounds of children's laughter clamored to be heard over the talking of the adults. Jean-Luc stepped into the illusion and it sealed itself behind him. They were on a high cliff, overlooking the ocean. A large house stood to his right, climbing four stories into the sky and adorned with various turrets and balconies. A brick patio extended from the back wall, covered by what looked like a rain proof canvas roof. The backyard was extensive, a carpet of short cushy grass that reached back about ten yards to a wooded area. A small children's wading pool lie to his left. The adults were sitting around in lounge chairs with tall glasses of lemonade on his right. Jean-Luc had no idea where they were supposed to be.  
  
"Ah, Papa! There you are!" Raylyn waved from a chair a few feet away. Will was standing behind her, conversing with a man that Jean-Luc identified as Wyatt Miller. Deanna was sitting next to Raylyn. Lwaxana had attached herself to Ambassador Spock and was no doubt regaling him with some pithy tale of her own intelligence. Jason was talking to the Klingon couple, one smiling the other frowning, and Data was speaking to Guinan.  
Jean-Luc felt something wet permeate his uniform and turned to see a brown haired boy, about four, with a squirt gun.  
"Andrew, don't shoot your Uncle!" Deanna cried with dismay from her chair and got up to take the toy from one of her sons. All of the children, including the young J.W., were playing near the wading pool. Laal was watching over them.  
"The brown haired one is Andrew" Beverly whispered, "The blonde is Ian and the little girl is Ana" Jean-Luc nodded. He would probably not be required to interact with the children, but it would not do for him to not know the right names for the right one.  
"Ambassadors" Jean-Luc nodded at the Klingon couple, "Thank you for coming"  
"Our pleasure. We've just been talking to your son here." Ka'lar nodded at Jason, whom Jean-Luc was sure got to know the Ambassador's fairly well on the trip to rendezvous with the Enterprise from Kamor"  
"I trust he's been telling the truth" Beverly joked and Jean-Luc forced a chuckle. He really was nervous. Ridiculous, he kept telling himself. Still, he was out of his element at such non-formal gatherings, especially with a family he suddenly felt he didn't know at all. He had no control over the situation and he couldn't think of anything to talk about. He nodded at the delegates and moved on to Will and Wyatt, who he was eager to acquaint himself with.  
"Sir" Will greeted him.  
"Sir" Wyatt nodded too.  
"Will, Wyatt" Jean-Luc nodded back. Beverly sat down with Lwaxana and Spock.  
"Well, sir, what do you think?"  
"About what, Number One?" Jean-Luc inquired.  
"About the Argos Treaty. Will here thinks they're going to back out of it" Wyatt said, punching Will playfully on the arm.  
"Oh, no, Will" Jean-Luc said. This was territory he knew. The Argos Treaty was the agreement that had allowed the Cardassians and the Federation to stop fighting. He had read all about it.  
"The Cardassians will not want to give up the territory they gained from that agreement"  
"That's what I said!" Wyatt exclaimed, "Will thinks they'll try to finagle a new agreement" Jean-Luc dove into the debate, thankful to have sound footing. Wyatt was an excellent orator and seemed to have a wonderful sense of humor and duty. Occasionally Deanna or Raylyn would call their husbands away for a few moments, but the men returned quickly, and eventually Data and Worf, Spock and even Jason joined the discussion as well. Little by little Jean-Luc's nerves unwound and he found himself enjoying the evening. Laughter surrounded him and the group of men moved on to different subjects. Jean-Luc could hear the women talking about raising children and other such feminine matters. This was the way Jean-Luc had always imagined family gatherings. Everything was going perfectly and then.  
A water balloon exploded in his face.  
Alexander had thrown it.  
Nobody spoke.  
The crickets stopped chirping.  
"Alexander! Captain."  
And then Raylyn laughed.  
Everybody stared at her as if she'd gone mad.  
And then Beverly laughed.  
And then Jean-Luc laughed.  
And then everybody was laughing. Well, except Worf.  
"It's quite all right, Mr. Worf" the Captain assured the Ambassador, "No harm done." He was completely and utterly soaked. The balloon had been very full. There were even droplets falling from his long nose. Jean-Luc wiped them away with a chuckle as Alexander appeared beside his father to apologize.  
"I'm sorry Captain!" he spurted.  
"It's all right, Alexander" Jean-Luc told him with a smile, "You've got a strong arm there. You need to work on your aim a bit, I think, but, you've got a very strong arm!" He laughed again.  
"Jean-Luc!" Beverly called from her lawn chair. She was still laughing.  
"It's time for dinner I think!" Jean-Luc nodded and started for the house.  
"Have everybody sit, I'll go change quickly" he answered. He was happy to find a dry uniform hanging in the closet of one of the larger rooms on the second floor of the beautiful 20th century beach house. It had a splendid view of whatever ocean it may be lapping at the rough cliffs. When Jean-Luc appeared outdoors again the patio was occupied by a large round table, around which everybody sat. He took a moment to note who was seated next to who. Deanna and Raylyn with their respective husbands on either side, Beverly next to Guinan who was seated next to Lwaxana who had Spock next to her. Data was next to Wyatt and Jason was next to Will. The Klingon couple were seated together on the left of the only empty chair left, obviously at the "head" and obviously meant for him. The children were seated at a separate table, watched over by Laal who had been keeping an eye on them all night.  
Jean-Luc took his seat. The food was on the table, ready to be served. Everybody was looking at him.  
"Jean-Luc. A toast, to start the meal?" Beverly said quietly from his right.  
"Ah, yes" Jean-Luc stood, not able to help the grin that was spreading from ear to ear, "To the health and happiness of all here gathered" And he tipped his glass back. 


	11. Happy Additions

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
AN: Thanks for reading everyone, and I'm glad you're enjoying! Someone asked about the green uniforms, and if you'll remember in the Original Series Kirk sometimes work a pale green uniform. It's just a variation!  
  
Jean-Luc forgot that he was not in his native universe. He forgot that he was not married to Beverly, he forgot that he did not have three children, he forgot that he was not the Earth delegate to peace talks with the Cardassians or that Ro Laren was not an Ambassador or that Q had displaced him. He had found his groove again and he relaxed into his life. Not for one moment did he take it for granted, though, not for one moment did he not think of how lucky he was to have such a perfect life.  
And so two weeks passed quickly with family dinners and meetings with the Ambassadors and babysitting duties occasionally. He and Jason enjoyed each other's company, fencing and playing chess. The boy revealed his plans to ask Mecca, a girl from the orphanage, to marry him. Jean-Luc encouraged him. Jean-Luc came to respect the subtleties of married life, sharing one's living space and life with another. He continued his tutoring of Data, who passed his learning's along to his daughter, Laal, who enjoyed a birthday party one Tuesday night. She was three years old. Jean-Luc secretly chuckled every time she called him "Grandfather" or Raylyn "Aunt Ray". He took J.W. for a pony ride in the holideck and helped his grandmother give him a bath, which was not an easy task.  
He was going over some final notes in his ready room, a cup of hot tea in front of him. He hadn't been happier since...well he couldn't remember being happier.  
"Excuse me, Captain," O'Brien's voice said over the intercom, "There's someone waiting to beam up, sir" Jean-Luc frowned. They were circling Bajor. The conferences would start tomorrow. He had no idea who would request to beam up to the ship. Certainly no Cardassians. He doubted any Bajoran, but then, Ro Laren was unpredictable.  
"On my way, Chief" the Captain replied and left his ready room. Will was in his seat. Data was at his post. Raylyn was at hers. Jean-Luc frowned.  
"Commanders, would you come with me?" he asked, spinning about and entering the turbo lift.  
"Aye, sir" Will said with a straight face, "Mr. Data, you have the bridge"  
"Aye sir" Data responded from his position. Raylyn and Will joined their Captain in the turbolift, both straight faced and serious looking. They stood side by side, looking straight ahead, saying nothing. Jean-Luc got the distinct impression they were trying not to laugh.  
"There's someone who wants to beam aboard the Enterprise" he told them.  
"Really, sir?" Will replied with no hint of humor in his voice, "Who is it?"  
"I don't know yet" Jean-Luc replied. They stepped off the turbolift when it stopped and turned a corner to enter the transporter room. Beverly was already there.  
"Doctor?" Jean-Luc raised an eyebrow. His wife tilted her head.  
"The Commander requested my presence" she answered his unspoken question. Jean-Luc turned to O'Brien and nodded. He turned back to the transporter pad and wondered who in the world would request an audience on the ship. A form slowly developed on the pad. It almost looked like...  
"Wesley!" Beverly cried and ran up to embrace her son, who was grinning wildly. Jean-Luc smiled at the boy as Raylyn burst out laughing beside him and Will developed an ear-to-ear grin.  
"Hey, Mom" Wesley embraced his mother before jumping off the pad. He swung an arm around Jean-Luc and the Captain returned the gesture with a hearty clap on the young man's back.  
"Hey, Dad" Wes smiled, "Surprised?"  
"Very" Jean-Luc replied, easily adjusting to Wesley calling him "Dad".  
"How in the world..." his wife started. He could tell she was simply thrilled to see her son again. He knew she missed him terribly. He was happy to see her so happy.  
"Ray managed it" Wesley told her. Beverly just hugged him again.  
"Oh, it's so good to see you!" Wesley laughed and broke away to give his older sister a hug too.  
"Hey, sis, what's up?" Raylyn ruffled his hair.  
"Not much. But guess what?" Wesley raised an eyebrow.  
"Jason's here too!" his sister gushed.  
"No kidding! Hey, that's great!" Wesley exclaimed with just as much excitement.  
"We're going to get a new portrait done!" Beverly declared, "One with all of us in it!"  
"But not right now" Jean-Luc said, "We have to get back to the bridge" He nodded at his daughter and her husband.  
"I'll take you to some quarters" Beverly said and started to lead her son away down the corridor.  
"That was a wonderful idea, Raylyn" Jean-Luc complimented his daughter on their way back to work, "Your mother misses him terribly"  
"I know she does" Raylyn responded, "I suppose I'll miss J.W. that much when he goes away to the Academy." Then she sighed wistfully, "I wish he were old enough to go now" Jean-Luc just laughed. His grandson was a handful, to say the least.  
That night's family dinner was a joyous occasion. Jason and Wesley had not seen each other in years.  
"I can't believe how much you've grown!" Jason kept saying over and over, until Wesley told him he couldn't believe how much his older brother had shrunk over the years. Data somehow came up with an old fashioned 20th century camera and kept taking pictures of the three siblings all night.  
"Hello, Uncle Wesley" Jean-Luc heard Laal greet the newly returned family member. Laal was almost taller than Wesley. The thought of him being her uncle was nearly hysterical. Everybody was of course happy to see Wesley. He and Wyatt had a lively discussion about baseball, an old sport from what had been the United States of America. Wes had apparently introduced the sport to his classmates and it had taken like wildfire.  
Later, after dinner when everybody was lounging in the sunset which was glancing off the ocean below, Jean-Luc observed Raylyn and Will whispering heatedly a bit apart from everyone else. He wondered what they might be discussing and was about to excuse himself from Lwaxana and Guinan when Raylyn called for everyone's attention. The entire family gathered closer. Jean-Luc felt as if he were in a crowd. The Ambassadors had not joined them tonight, but the family itself was rather large anyway.  
Lwaxana, Deanna, Wyatt, Ian, Andrew, Ana, Data, Laal, Guinan, Jason, Wesley, Beverly, himself, J.W., Will and Raylyn. Jean-Luc suddenly wished Kestra and her seven children, plus his brother and family, were also in attendance so he could get a feel for how truly monstrous a family they were. But Raylyn was begging his attention.  
"Um," she paused as if trying to think of how to say what she had to say in a better way, but then gave up and just blurted it.  
"Will and I are going to have another baby!" She was fair to glowing and Will looked as if he might never stop grinning. All of the women cried at once and stood to give the expectant mother hugs, while all of the men gathered to shake Will's hand.  
"Congratulations, Will!" Jean-Luc soon enough found himself saying. Everybody left the holideck chattering excitedly and happily. Jean-Luc felt as if a warm glow was enveloping him.  
He decided to enjoy the feeling all night. Tomorrow, work would begin. 


	12. Down to Work

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
The meeting chambers were dark. The Cardassians preferred it that way. The table was round so that they would all be able to face each other, giving them a feeling of all being on equal ground. The Cardassians had demanded a number of strictures for the talks. For instance, the Federation was only to be allowed their three delegates in the conference chambers. That meant no security. Lt. Data had objected, being Chief of Security, but the stricture was agreed to by the Federation Council. Jean-Luc, Lwaxana and Spock were all well able to take care of themselves.  
"I wish I could go down with you" Raylyn said that morning before they transported down.  
"I'll be fine" Jean-Luc assured her.  
"Oh I know you'll be fine" Raylyn had answered, "I just wish I could be there to hear what kind of absurdities the Cardassians demand!" She laughed and Jean-Luc shook his head in that way only parents did.  
"Captain" a familiar voice said from one side of the table, "Welcome to Bajor" Ro Laren looked different. She was beautiful as ever, but there was a softness about her eyes that she didn't have in his universe. The eyes of...a mother? Mon Deiu! It was just something about her, Jean-Luc wouldn't have sworn on it, but he would have bet Will Riker a hefty sum. She wore the traditional ear piece that she always did and she had let her dark hair grow very long so that it hung like a cape down her back.  
"Thank you Ambassador Ro" he replied. Ro raised an eyebrow.  
"You are familiar with our name custom" she said with an appreciative nod, "You honor me" Then she turned her attention to the other delegates with him. "Ambassador Troi, Ambassador Spock, an honor to meet two such distinguished persons" Jean-Luc wondered where his rebellious young Ensign Ro was hidden in this stately figure before him.  
"The honor is ours Ambassador Ro" Lwaxana answered with a simple nod of her head. The honor was hers? Jean-Luc could barely keep from letting his jaw drop in astonishment.  
"Indeed" Spock added with his own nod.  
"Where are the Cardassians?" a low growl accompanied the gruff question.  
"They will join us momentarily, Ambassador Worf" Ro told the disgruntled delegate. He did not like that the Cardassians had not arrived at the same time as the other delegates. He saw a conspiracy in it. His wife had rolled her eyes at the suggestion and he had let the matter drop. It seemed he was still unhappy about it, however.  
"You must be Ambassador T'auri" Ro turned her attention to the Romulan woman standing behind the rest of the group. She stiffly pushed herself to the front and stood stock still with a disdainful look upon her face.  
"I am" she answered brittlely. Just then three columns of dazzling light appeared for a few seconds to the group's right and then Ambassador Ro was introducing the three Cardassian delegates.  
"This is Dar'kon" she introduced the largest of the delegation to them. Beside the normal physical characteristics of Cardassians, the large necks and bone plates, there was nothing extraordinary about the man.  
"Ambassador Dar'kon, this is Ambassador T'auri of Romulus" Ro said, introducing the Romulan first because she was at the front of the group, "Ambassadors Worf and Ka'lar of the Klingon Empire" Ka'lar nodded politely enough, a hint of a smile pulling her lips up, but Worf did not respond at all.  
"And these are the Ambassadors from the Federation" Jean-Luc and his group moved forward and both Spock and Lwaxana nodded.  
"Ambassador Spock, of Vulcan, Ambassador Lwaxana Troi, Daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, Heir to the Holy Rings of Betezed" Lwaxana looked incredibly pleased with her introduction. Finally, Ro turned her attention to Jean-Luc, who was debating whether or not to smile. He did not have too much experience with Cardassians and he was not sure whether it would be appropriate or not.  
"Then this" Dar'kon emphasized the last, "must be the famed Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise"  
"A pleasure, Ambassador" Jean-Luc replied to the man's obvious disdain.  
"I can not say the same, Captain" Dar'kon replied, his lips dripping acid. He sucked a breath in through his large nostrils and half turned toward the two Cardassians behind him.  
"This is Ambassador Nar'Lan" A woman took a step forward. She wore her long black hair in twin braids that hung over her shoulders and down to her waist. She gave the group a curt nod and stepped back again.  
"And this is our aid, Karchock" The third member of the party seemed to be relatively young, though it wasn't easy to estimate an exact age for the Cardassian. Still, compared to the two Ambassadors Jean-Luc would have guessed he was perhaps in his mid-twenties. No longer a child, but still not wise enough in the ways of the galaxy.  
"Shall we move to the table?" Ambassador Ro suggested. All of the delegates took seats around the circular table, the Cardassians on one side, the rest of them spread across the other with Ro and a single empty chair in between the two groups. Jean-Luc felt the arrangement was perhaps not the best, but there was nothing to do about it.  
As the talks began, he was very glad that Mr. Data, and indeed the rest of the command crew, had made plenty of time to do all of that studying. Though there were many parallels to his own universe, it was the details that the Cardassians preferred to focus on. They began immediately to make demands, most of them mildly outrageous. Jean-Luc recognized the demands as tests. The Cardassians were trying to see how each of the delegates would respond to these demands. If they were hoping for a fight they were, for the most part, disappointed. The two most volatile members of the delegation were Worf and T'auri. Worf was held in check by his wife quite well and had as of yet to make any sort of scene. T'auri seemed to be seething inside, yet she kept her contempt to herself for the most part, only occasionally grunting or murmuring small curses under her breath that only Jean-Luc, sitting on her left, could really hear. Jean-Luc was not sure how long that would last, but he was grateful nothing detrimental had happened on that all important first day.  
Nothing was really achieved. Ambassador Ro was not required to step in, or to declare a break until midday, though, and Jean-Luc left the council room feeling good about where the talks were headed. It was true the Cardassians were nigh impossible to reason with, but that was why Spock was there. He could always point out the illogical in any point of view.  
"What were your impressions, Lwaxana?" Jean-Luc asked as he escorted his sister-in-law to her quarters. There was an Ambassadorial Dinner to be held on Bajor that night, which their entire family was invited to. Both elder members of the family (Jean-Luc and Lwaxana) had decided the children should remain on the ship and Laal was to be employed in babysitting the four rambunctious children. The Captain was told she was well enough capable, being an android, of keeping them all in line. Geordi, being the only member of Jean-Luc's command crew that was not part of the family, had also been invited.  
"Ha! They're single minded conquerors, Jean-Luc" Lwaxana declared with her usual flourish, "But they're very willing to ally themselves with us if it will protect them from the Dominon and Borg"  
"Do you think they will follow whatever guidelines these talks produce?" the Captain inquired.  
"Are you asking if they are honest, Jean-Luc?" Lwaxana said in her teasing voice.  
"I suppose I am" he admitted.  
"I don't detect any subterfuge" Lwaxana said, but then bit her bottom lip before going through the doors that had just opened to her quarters, "Dar'kon certainly doesn't think much of you, but he's made that clear enough. Nar'Lan is more open minded I think. No, it's that young one I'm not sure about"  
"Karchock?" Jean-Luc said in surprise, "The aid?" Lwaxana flipped her hand.  
"Oh, it's nothing. Just boyish fantasies I'm sure, but I don't think he particularly likes this idea of an alliance. I think he thinks the Cardassian Empire is strong enough to repel the Borg on it's own" Jean-Luc nodded solemnly.  
"Idealistic youth" he agreed, "I'll see you in a bit" She nodded with a huge smile and went in, probably to try on a dozen outfits before deciding on the most outrageous and intricate.  
"Ray to Picard" his daughter's voice beeped over his com badge. She used her first name when calling for people because it just got too confusing with all of the Picards and Rikers. Likewise, that was the major reason Beverly had not changed her name to Picard. It was less confusing.  
"Picard here" the Captain replied, continuing on his way to his own quarters.  
"Papa, do you want us all to wear our dress uniforms?" Raylyn asked. Jean-Luc thought painfully about the dress like dress uniforms of his own universe.  
"Yes, I'm afraid so, Cherie" he answered, "It is an Ambassadorial function"  
"Okay, but I'm telling Will it's your fault" she laughed and Jean-Luc allowed himself to grin.  
"Ah, Jean-Luc" Beverly was already getting ready for the event, apparently. She was standing in a form fitting, knee length black skirt and bra in front of the mirror pushing pins into her red locks to hold it artistically piled upon her crown. She had curled a few strands which she was allowing to hang down her neck and behind her ears.  
"How did the talks go?"  
"Well" he answered, chucking his uniform and stepping into the shower stall for a quick rinse off.  
"I set your dress uniform out" she told him as he emerged. She was clasping a string of pearls around her delicate throat. Jean-Luc sighed, suddenly wishing he could spend a quiet night at home instead of going to what was probably going to be a painfully stiff dinner. He turned to the bed where clothes were laid neatly out, ready for him to don. He grudgingly did so, and was happy to find that his top did not reach his knees. Indeed, it was a nicely cut jacket buttoned over a short sleeved green shirt, of which only the Nauru collar showed. The jacket itself was black, with only a thin streak of the dreaded green cutting across the shoulders. In fact, Jean-Luc thought the dress uniform was rather smart looking. He couldn't imagine why Raylyn had told him she was going to lay the blame on him for having to wear them. Surely Will wouldn't object to this much more toned down uniform?  
But then he turned around and saw Beverly finally fully dressed. Raylyn hadn't been talking about her husband's discomfort, but his jealousy! Indeed, Jean-Luc suddenly had the feeling that he would not be leaving his own wife's side very much this evening. The black skirt showed off her long sleek legs quite elegantly, her feet encased in delicate black heels. The blue jacket that she wore hugged every soft curve and was not buttoned up to the neck as his was, but instead cut in a "v". The cut was not deep, only just enough to show off her string of pearls nicely, but it revealed enough creamy skin to entice.  
Raylyn would look every bit as succulent in her green uniform. Perhaps even more so for she never wore her raven locks up on her head, but always let the soft waves fall down her back and around her face, just as Deanna did.  
Neither Will or Wyatt was going to be very happy with their Captain. At the moment, Jean-Luc wasn't exactly happy with the Captain either. 


	13. The Siblings of an Android

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
The Cardassians had not, of course, brought any family. They brought down some of their command crew, only another 5 people, to make up the difference. Ambassador Ro had also invited both some Bajoran and human delegates who were stationed on Bajor to help fill in the numbers. None the less, both the Cardassians and the Bajorans were surprised when the Picard family beamed down, all at once. Jean-Luc had thought it better for them to beam down in smaller groups, but Raylyn, who had a thing for dramatic entrances, convinced him to let them all go at once. It was therefore, that the Captain of the Enterprise, his wife, four children, and son-in-law all arrived in the same transportation.  
"Welcome, again, Captain" Ro nodded at him. Dar'kon and Nar'Lan joined them.  
"Thank you, Ambassador" Jean-Luc replied politely, "My sister-in-law and her family will be joining us shortly" He informed her.  
"Your sister-in-law?" Dar'kon demanded.  
"Ambassador Troi, her daughter and son-in-law" Jean-Luc clarified.  
"I did not know that Ambassador Troi was your sister-in-law, Captain" Ro said. It was obvious that neither did the Cardassians. Jean-Luc nodded, enjoying having put them off balance.  
"Oh, yes" he said, "But please, allow me to introduce you to my wife, Dr. Beverly Crusher" Beverly nodded sweetly. Jean-Luc had been right about the uniforms. Both Will and Wyatt had given him dark looks while escorting their respective wives onto the transporter pad. Deanna wore blue and Raylyn the dark green of command, but they both looked stunning in the nicely fit uniforms. Jean-Luc noticed that Deanna's hair was a shade lighter than Raylyn's while they were standing next to each other, both of them with perhaps their best feature spiraling down across their shoulders and down their backs. Their husbands had stood just as close to the women as Jean-Luc stood next to Beverly. But Deanna would not arrive for another few seconds. Only then would all three stunning women be set next to each other for the male fraction of the group to ogle over.  
"Dr. Crusher" Ensign...Ambassador Ro nodded pleasantly. The Cardassians both nodded and then turned and joined the rest of their group, which was standing apart from the rest of the party. Jean-Luc would have been offended if he'd cared.  
"And my children" he continued as if they were still standing there, "My eldest, Data. He also serves as my Security Chief" A nod from Ro, "My only daughter, Raylyn, my Second Officer, and her husband, William Riker, my First Officer. My sons, Jason and Wesley. Jason works on Kamor Five and Wesley is attending the Academy"  
"It is pleasant to meet you all" Ro said with a slight smile, "This is my husband, Lo Dar" A pleasant looking man smiled at them all from just a step behind her. He was tall and broad and dark haired, but he looked kind and gentle. Actually, from only this first glance, the man rather reminded Jean-Luc of Will.  
Just then more columns of blue light drew their attention and suddenly Lwaxana was introducing Deanna and Wyatt to Ro.  
"I was under the impression that you had children" Ro asked of the two younger women.  
"Yes" Deanna bit back a smile.  
"They, uh, have a tendency to....attract attention, if you know what I mean" Raylyn tried to explain delicately.  
"We left them aboard with our niece, Data's daughter, Laal" Deanna told her.  
"I see" Ro nodded as if she knew exactly what they were talking about. The group broke up when Spock, T'auri and the Klingons arrived and Ro went off to greet them. The dinner was a menagerie of dishes from Romulus, Vulcan, the Klingon home world, Bajor, Cardassia and Earth. A small bell had even been provided for the Betazoids as it was there way of giving thanks for the food they ate. (All three of the Betazoid natives were discreet enough to use the bell only minimally for the sake of the rest of the diners)  
A musical and theatrical performance was planned for after dinner, but while they waited for the performers to set up they all enjoyed after dinner drinks and attempted to mingle. The Cardassians mainly kept to themselves, but while Jean-Luc was engaged in a discussion with two Bajoran officials, he was glad to notice that a couple of the younger ones, Karchock included, broke away and headed toward the human parties. He tried to listen discreetly while not loosing the thread of his present conversation.  
"I am Karchock" the young aid presented himself, "This is Sarkon" He gestured to the young female at his side. A girlfriend, perhaps, interested in meeting one of the strange humans? But they were talking to Data.  
"I am Lt. Data" the android man answered, "It is a pleasure to meet you" The conversation faltered for a minute.  
"Sarkon is my younger sister" Karchock admitted, "She wanted to meet you"  
"I see. I also have a younger sister" Data told him, probably thinking it was best to find something in common to stimulate conversation, "Shall I introduce you?" Sarkon nodded and followed him over to where Raylyn and her two brothers were laughing over something Jean-Luc had a feeling they shouldn't be.  
"These are my younger siblings" Data said, "My sister, Raylyn, and my brothers, Jason and Wesley"  
"Hello" Raylyn smiled at the two young Cardassians, "Our brother hasn't been boring you, has he?" The Cardassians ignored him.  
"I thought you were an android" Karchock said, only slightly rudely.  
"That is true" Data answered.  
"Then how can you have human siblings?" Karchock demanded as if he'd caught Data in a lie.  
"Our father adopted him" Raylyn answered.  
"What does 'adopted' mean?" Sarkon asked.  
"It means that he took him as his own son. That makes he and his children part of our family" Jason explained.  
"You have children?" Karchock asked incredulously, "Is she human too?"  
"No. My daughter Laal is also an android. I created her" Data told him. Karchock and Sarkon fell to conversation in their native tongue.  
"Why are you considered eldest?" Sarkon wanted to know.  
"I was created a year before Raylyn was born" Data said.  
"But you have a lower rank" Karchock seemed to want to find anything to prove Data a liar.  
"That is true. The planet where I was created was attacked and I was deactivated for a very long time. I have not been in Starfleet quite as long as Raylyn, I therefore am of a lower rank, though technically I am older than she" Data's logical explanation seemed only to rile Karchock more.  
"I do not understand how you can accept an artificial being as your brother" He directed his assault at the humans this time. Jason laughed, Wesley just grinned and Raylyn choked on her drink.  
"He's not an artificial being" Jason said, "He is a real being, he's just not human. Okay, so he's not biological either, but as the Enterprise has proved many times, not all life is biological"  
"Data does all the same things with us that a biological brother would do" Raylyn added.  
"Such as?" Sarkon inquired. Her youth was showing through.  
"Well, like, he helped me with my homework when I was younger" Wes told her, "And he played games with me. He taught me how to play chess"  
"Sometimes we even fight" Raylyn put in, "He can be kinda annoying sometimes" Data raised his eyebrows. This comment, however, seemed to win the Cardassian siblings more so than anything else. They had more questions but Jean-Luc's children seemed to be fielding them very well. The officials he had been talking to excused themselves and so Jean-Luc took just a second to look at his four children all standing next to each other, smiling and laughing. True, two of them weren't technically "his," but he was not surprised to find they felt that way all the same. In many ways Data had always regarded the Captain as a father figure. It was not at all surprising that the android would wish to formalize that relationship for the benefit of his daughter.  
"You look pleased with yourself" a sultry voice said from behind him and Jean-Luc didn't bother to turn as his wife slid her arm around his. He nodded at their children.  
"Amazing, aren't they?" she whispered.  
"Mmm" Jean-Luc responded.  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, will you join us for some entertainment?" Ambassador Ro's voice reached over the soft conversations and drew everyone's attention to a set of double doors standing open. Jean-Luc saw Karchock lead his sister back to the group of Cardassians as Will and Wyatt joined their wives and brother-in-laws.  
The performance was in its original Bajoran, with translations appearing on screens given to each of the audience. It was a lovely show, proving again what artistic people the Bajorans really were. When it was finished and partings exchanged between each set of delegates, the members of the Enterprise's family returned to their ship with their visiting Ambassador friends.  
"An exhausting day" Beverly whistled as she tossed off the all to well fitting dress uniform. Jean-Luc nodded in agreement.  
"Mm. And I think.it's the first in what is going to be a long line of them" 


	14. Raylyn is not fine

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
"Commander, are you all right?" Raylyn gave her Imzadi a look.  
"I'm fine, thank you, Councilor" she replied, resisting the urge to put a hand to her stomach. In all truthfulness, she wasn't feeling so well, but there was no way she was going to admit to that on the Bridge. If she told her father, or Will, that she was beginning to have morning sickness so early on they would send her right to her mother who would then probably proclaim that she was to "take it easy" and "get plenty of rest," which would mean cutting back significantly on her bridge hours. And the Bridge hours were the only thing keeping her sane at the moment. She hated not being down at the conferences with her father and aunt. They would only discuss the happenings to a limited point, which aggravated Raylyn to no end. Certainly if Lwaxana or Spock were not satisfied with the Captain's performance they would have said something, but that wasn't what was bothering his daughter. After all, Q had promised he would be up to the job and though Q was many many things, a liar he was not. No, it was just the fact that she wasn't there to see everything first hand, to be at her father's back as she had been for the past 5 years and had grown accustomed to.  
Deanna was giving her a funny look. Raylyn tried to reign in her emotions but too late.  
/You are not all right, Ray/ the Councilor said silently to her cousin, /Don't try to fool me, Imzadi/  
/You know me better than that, Imzadi/ Raylyn replied just as silently, both women looking directly forward at the planet that spun on it's axis on the view screen. Will was seated between them. He could on occasion tell when the women were communicating telepathically, but at the moment he was paying attention to some reports from security, which Data had doubled as soon as Ambassador Spock had come on board.  
/I do and I know you well enough to know you're not feeling well. You shouldn't be having morning sickness this early in the pregnancy. Perhaps.../  
/Don't even suggest it, Deanna Troi!/ And there was such vehemence in that command that Deanna looked across Will to Raylyn, who turned her head and looked back. That was when Will noticed something.  
"What?" he asked.  
"Nothing" Raylyn answered immediately. Deanna looked as if she were about to object.  
/Please don't, Imzadi! I promise I'll go see Mom later/ Raylyn said desperately. Deanna frowned but nodded.  
"What is it?" Will appealed to his wife's cousin but she told him it was nothing to concern him and he rolled his eyes and went back to his reports.  
  
Later...  
  
"Hey, Ray, you don't look so good" Wes told his sister. She frowned at him. They were on the holideck, in a "secret" room they had designed into the house where they held their family dinners. It was a basement type atmosphere, a large throw rug covering most of a stone floor, posters of some of Wes's favorite bands and some of Raylyn's and Data's paintings on the walls. They had created it as a "sibling" room, to try and create a sense of "past" in their family. They pretended the room had been their secret hiding place in their childhood, and retreated to it when they felt the need to talk to one of their brothers (or sister) without the rest of the family being privy. Data had been included when he had been "adopted" and now that Jason was here they let him in on it too. With the demands of adulthood none of them often visited but Raylyn had insisted tonight, for no apparent reason. Her three brothers had acquiesced, knowing denying a pregnant woman was never good for one's health.  
At the moment she was playing chess with her youngest brother, while Jason and Data discussed the finer points of one of Data's latest paintings. Both of the older men turned at their brother's comment and scrutinized their only sister's face. She looked drawn.  
"I'm fine" she snapped.  
"You do not appear to be" Data said.  
"I haven't seen you in a while and even I think you don't look like yourself" Jason added. Raylyn wiped at her brow and sighed deeply. Jason crossed to her and put a hand on her forehead.  
"Hey, you've got a fever!" he declared and then moved back for Data to test her temperature.  
"You have a temperature of 99.9 degrees" he announced, "You require medical attention"  
"No I don't" Raylyn declared, though her voice wavered. She knew she was sick, but didn't want to admit it. Perhaps that was why she had insisted her brothers come down here tonight. She knew they would force her to go see her mother, even against her will.  
"Come on, Ray, I'll walk with you" Wes offered, standing up.  
"It's just a little warm in here, that's all" she tried again, though not even half heartedly. She saw Jason give Data a look.  
"Jace!" she cried, not knowing exactly what it meant.  
"Raylyn, as the head of this family.....  
  
"You're not head yet!"  
"....I order you to report to our Mother in Sickbay" Data finished, ignoring her comment.  
"No, that's alright" Raylyn switched tactics, "I'll just go home and take a cold shower and get some rest. Maybe I'll tell Will I don't want to work tomorrow"  
"Do we have to carry you, Ray?" Jason asked with an impudent smile. Raylyn rolled her eyes, knowing when she was defeated, but feeling relieved about it.  
"No" she answered and stood...........  
  
.......And fell back down again. She had passed out. Data quickly bent down and picked her up.  
"Computer, exit!" Wes called.  
"Viego to Crusher" Jason tapped the badge he'd been given for his visit, "Emergency. We're bringing Ray down"  
"Crusher to Riker, Will you better get down to sickbay" Wes made another call.  
"Data to Troi, you're presence is required in Sickbay immediately, Councilor"  
"On my way!" in three different tones rang over three com badges. Crewman quickly stepped out of the way as the three brothers hurried down the corridors with their sister.  
"What happened?" Beverly asked anxiously, both doctor and mother, as Data laid his sister out on the med bed.  
"She has a fever of 99.9 degrees" Data said.  
"We had just talked her into coming down when she fainted" Jason added. Will and Deanna burst through the doors, obviously having been forewarned by the link between the cousins.  
"What the hell is happening?" Will demanded, going immediately to his wife's side and taking her limp hand in his own. Beverly was taking readings.  
"Her heart rate has accelerated and her hormone levels are completely unbalanced" she reported while she worked, for their benefit.  
"She's been having morning sickness for the past two weeks" Deanna told the doctor.  
"That's not normal" Jason observed.  
"She begged me not to say anything" Deanna told them.  
"One month is too early for morning sickness, especially for her" Beverly commented, biting her lip. They were all well aware that Raylyn Picard had an iron clad stomach. "There!" Beverly exclaimed, spinning and going to her wall panels, "Nurse Ogawa! I need a hypospray of metacordazine!" Ogawa nodded and tossed the hypo through the air to the Doctor who quickly administered it. Then she took a blood sample from her daughter's calve where the medicine hadn't reached just yet.  
"What is it?" Will demanded but Beverly's answer was stalled.  
"She's coming around" Deanna said quietly. Raylyn's eyelids fluttered. She moaned slightly.  
"Will?"  
"I'm here, honey" he smiled and brushed a hand over her face.  
/Imzadi?/  
/Here/  
"Mmmm...what's happened?"  
"I'm not completely sure yet" Beverly answered, "Just rest" Raylyn immediately fell to sleep. Beverly jerked her head towards her office and the entire family followed.  
"I think she's been infected with a rare form of the Ogowdian virus"  
"Ogowdian virus?" Jason repeated before Will could.  
"A rare Cardassian virus" Data informed them.  
"You said she'd been infected" Will prompted his mother in law.  
"Humans cannot naturally contract the Ogowdian virus, however, they will react if it's introduced to their body" Beverly reported.  
"So you're telling me this was an attack" Will immediately concluded.  
  
"That would be the logical conclusion, Commander" Data agreed. Will frowned and tapped his badge.  
"Riker to Captain Picard" Down on the planet Jean-Luc stopped mid sentence.  
"Yes, Commander?"  
"Sorry to interrupt sir, but there's been an emergency on board" Will reported.  
"Understood" Jean-Luc replied and excused himself. He wanted to know what had happened now. 


	15. The Plot Thickens

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
"Hey, Data" Geordi said quietly as he entered Sickbay. Data was sitting with Raylyn who still wasn't doing so well.  
"How is she?"  
"Dr. Crusher says she will recover" Data answered. He rarely refered to her as his "mother", unless in the sole presence of his "siblings" who prefered that he did. Geordi took a seat beside his android friend.  
"She looks kinda pale" he observed.  
"Her temperature is still rather high" Data told his best friend.  
"How's the baby?" Geordi asked, knowing that was what everyone was worried about. He'd just come from Will's quarters. The Commander still had a responsibility to the ship and with Ray out of commission he was pulling double shifts. He hadn't wanted to leave J.W. in daycare that long, so Geordi had offered to babysit. The toddler was aware that something was wrong and had been unusually quiet all evening. Will had told him that Data was sitting with Ray when he'd come home and so Geordi had decided to stop by and see how his friend was doing before he went home himself. The gesture was useless of course, Data didn't have any feelings to be worried about, but it was human nature and Geordi willingly bent to nature's will.  
"Dr. Crusher believes the babies will be fine" Data said matter of factly.  
"Babies?" Geordi repeated.  
"Yes. She has discovered two embryos"  
"Wow. Twins. Can you imagine having two J.W.'s at once?" Geordi laughed, but nervously. J.W., and indeed even Councilor's Troi's three kids, had been more than a handful. He didn't want to imagine having to deal with twins from that particular family. Data tilted his head to the side the way he did and raised and lowered his eyebrows in very human like fashion.  
"It will be difficult"  
"Yeah, that's an understatement" Geordi replied. Just then Ray stirred.  
"Papa?" she mumbled without opening her eyes.  
"Can you hear me Raylyn?" Data asked calmly. She didn't respond.  
"Ah, she's just talkin in her sleep, Data" Geordi said, "Speaking of sleep, I better turn in. I'll see you tomorrow?" Data nodded.  
"Goodnight, Geordi"  
  
Down on the planet, things were not going so politely.  
"We are not insinuating anything, Ambassador" Jean-Luc denied. Dar'kon had immediately bristled when Jean-Luc had told him that the virus was the Ogowdian virus. Beverly had said there was only one way for Raylyn to get such a disease and Jean-Luc therefore had to confront the Cardassian delegation.  
"The virus is Cardassian!" Ambassador Worf growled.  
"Indeed" Spock said before either Dar'Kon or Nar'Lan could say anything, "It is therefore logical to speak to the only Cardassians who have been near Commander Picard-Riker in the recent past"  
"We" Nar'Lan emphasized the word, "Had nothing to do with this!"  
"Do you have any idea how my officer may have contracted this virus?" Jean-Luc asked evenly, hoping to keep the Cardassians from erupting.  
"No" Dar'kon replied immediately. Almost too quickly.  
"He is lieing!" Worf nearly yelled.  
"Worf!"Ka'lar had a warning in her voice, "Perhaps he is not. Perhaps somebody is trying to frame the Cardassians"  
"To what end?" Ambassador Ro asked, "Who wouldn't want the Cardassians to join the rest of us?"  
"The Borg" Spock said. Everybody stopped and looked at him. "Or perhaps the Dominion" he added.  
"Whichever one of them wins wouldn't want to turn around and face a unified sector" T'auri, who usually remained silent now a days, said.  
"It is logical" Spock agreed.  
"Perhaps, but why would they attack Raylyn? If they wanted to end the talks why wouldn't they attack one of the Ambassadors?" Lwaxana wondered out loud. Nobody had an answer for that. Things were strained between the delegates. The Cardassians were not easy to deal with, and adding in Klingon and Romulan demands was only making the situation more difficult. Still, after three weeks, Jean-Luc had felt that they were about to come to a definate agreement. With this hanging over their heads, however, he could feel the Cardassians already backing up into a corner, one which they would not be willing to leave. He could see things falling apart quickly.  
"Perhaps we should retire for the day" Ro finally suggested, "And pick these procedings up tomorrow"  
"I....would appreciate the time spent with my daughter" Jean-Luc said. He had so far been trying to seperate Raylyn as his daughter and Raylyn as Commander Picard-Riker. This distinction was giving him the power to face the people who may have been responsible for her illness. Beverly had been spending all day and most of her nights in the research lab with Wyatt, trying to find a cure for the virus which was only being held at bay by the metacordazine.  
"Of course" Nar'Lan agreed slowly, nodding at him. Dar'Kon seemed to want to disagree, however he said nothing. The groups separated and went to their respective ships. Jean-Luc wanted to go immediately to Sickbay to see how Raylyn was doing. What had Q been thinking? This was entirely too unfair, even for Q. He had only just been given the immense gift of Raylyn, of his entire family, and now he was close to losing it. Not all of it, perhaps, but certainly a very, very important part. The part for which Q had specifically brought him to this universe for. Jean-Luc was trying to juggle all of these emotions and still perform his duty admirably. There were, he now fully realized, very definite downsides to having such attachments as he had always wished for.  
He could not, however, go straight to Sickbay. He was still Captain of this ship and as such he had certain responsibilities to perform. So instead he headed for the bridge where he found Data in charge.  
"Mr. Data?" he questioned, having expected to find Will on duty.  
"Commander Riker had an obligation to fulfill" Data answered, getting out of the Captain's chair.  
"I see" Jean-Luc replied, not taking the seat himself, "In that case, report" Data did not have much to report. Some of the science stations were running some tests, but there was little for them to do stuck circling a planet.  
"And..Dr. Crusher has reported that Raylyn's condition has improved. Marginally" the android finished softly. Jean-Luc nodded. Any improvement was good news to him.  
"Very well. Mr. Data, I'll be in Sickbay if you need me"  
"Aye, sir" Data replied and resumed his original position. Jean-Luc silently urged the turbolift to go faster on his way down to his wife's domain. He almost fell to tapping his foot in impatience. How had his daughter picked up a Cardassian virus? Or rather, who had given it to her? And to what end? These questions were all rolling around inside his head and the question which loomed over them all was what would happen to Raylyn?  
"Beverly" Jean-Luc sighed in relief when he saw his wife in her office, "Data said you'd reported her condition had improved?"  
"Only slightly. She's fallen into a sleep. Troi says it's not a coma, but more of a rest period giving the mind time to try and heal itself naturally " Beverly answered with a sigh, "The metacordazine is holding the virus at bay but Wyatt and I are no closer to coming up with an antidote."  
"What will happen if you can't find one?" Beverly chose not to answer. Jean-Luc held back a despairing cry and turned to go see his daughter.  
"Jean-Luc, wait!" Beverly was out of her chair and holding him by the arm, "Will's in there with her" Jean-Luc sighed. He felt a sudden pang of jealousy. But he knew that he had to allow the man a few moments alone with his wife, even if his wife was /his/ daughter. He nodded at Beverly to let he know he'd comply and then went to the corner. He would wait a few moments before going in. He hadn't meant to eves-drop, but from his vantage point he could see and hear Will and he could not tear himself away.  
"They say people in coma's can still hear people talking" Will was saying. He was standing at the foot of her bed, with one hand on her ankle.  
  
"So you're father says the Cardassians are denying any involvement. Well we didn't really expect them to admit to anything, did we? Geordi stayed with J.W. last night. I didn't realize that Geordi hadn't done that in a while." Will sighed and dropped his head and let out a sigh that seemed to shake his whole body.  
"Ray, I want you to get better, luv. But I miss you." his voice shook as if he would cry and he ran his hand up her leg, over her torso and finally around her face, "Please don't stay away too long" And he lowered his head and kissed her brow.  
"I couldn't have said it better myself" Jean-Luc whispered to himself and left Sickbay. 


	16. Karchock

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
Jean-Luc sat up. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, trying to clear the sleep from his vision. Something wasn't right. He could feel it. It had woken him.  
Beverly sat up straight in bed. She brushed a lock of red hair out of her face.  
"What is it?" she asked.  
"I don't know yet" he answered. Then the floor and ceiling and walls shook, the view out the window shifting slightly. Sirens started blaring and red lights along the cieling started blinking.  
"Captain, report to the bridge, immediately!" Data's voice demanded over the com.  
"On my way!" Jean-Luc shouted back and though to grab a shirt before dashing out of his quarters, down the hall and into the turbo lift. He was thankful to whichever engineer, hundreds of years ago, was smart enough to put the Captain's quarters near the Bridge, in the case he would need to get there quickly in an emergency. As he spilled out of the turbolift, his shirt over his night clothes, the ship rocked again under a barrage.  
"Data! What the hell is going on!" he demanded as he made his way down to his chair, which Data was vacating. He saw Will stagger out of the turbolift at the other side of the bridge.  
"The Cardassians are attacking us, sir" Data reported. Jean-Luc frowned.  
"On screen!" he ordered, taking his seat. He felt a little ridiculous, being on the bridge in his night clothes, but there was nothing for it. The Cardassian ship appeared on the forward screen just as two yellow beams left her weapons turrets. Jean-Luc instinctively gripped his chair just as the ship rocked again. Will fell into his seat.  
"Shields?" his first officer called for a report.  
"Down to fifty percent, sir!" Data reported, at his own station.  
"Data, return fire, aim only at their weapons turrets!" Jean-Luc ordered. He did not know what had brought about this sudden attack, but he did not want to completely ruin everything he had built.  
"Spock to Captain Picard" the Vulcan's calm voice reached over the com system, "What is happening, Captain?"  
"We seem to be under attack from the Cardassians, Ambassador Spock" Jean-Luc replied.  
"Why?" Spock asked.  
"I have not yet determined that, Ambassador" Jean-Luc answered. The ship rocked again.  
"Shields down to 48 percent, Captain" Data reported automatically.  
"Jean-Luc, what in the world is going on up there?" Lwaxana's voice rang over the com.  
"We're under attack, Lwaxana!" Jean-Luc was beginning to get irritated with all of these interruptions.  
"What?!" Lwaxana shouted back. Jean-Luc didn't bother answering.  
"The Cardassians are powering down their weapons, sir" Data reported. Jean-Luc and Will both twisted about in their chairs to stare at the man. He simply looked back.  
"Open a channel, Mr. Data!" Jean-Luc ordered, completely forgetting that he was not in uniform. Dar'Kon, Nar'Lan and, apparently being held in custody behind them, Karchock, appeared on the screen.  
"Captain, please, accept my apologies" Dar'kon stated immediately, "We have caught Karchock firing upon you"  
"Karchock?" Jean-Luc repeated, somewhat surprised.  
"We have not yet been able to determine his motive, Captain" Nar'Lan answered, "We will hold him in custody, as well as his sister. You are welcome to attend the interrogation, if you would like"  
"I'm sure that you will be able to take care of this matter" Jean-Luc replied, "However, I do have one thought"  
"Yes?" Dar'kon asked, much more amiable than he had ever been before.  
  
"Might not Karchock be my daughter's attacker?" Dar'Kon gave Nar'Lan a swift look. He clearly had not thought of that yet.  
"We will check his quarters for evidence, Captain" Nar'Lan assured him, "Nar'Lan, out" And the image of her ship replaced the image of her. Jean-Luc heaved a sigh of relief.  
And then the Klingons burst onto the bridge.  
"What is going on, Captain?!" Worf demanded. He had taken the time to get dressed, apparently. Or perhaps he slept in his ceremonial garb?  
"The young Cardassian, Karchock, apparently seized control of the Cardassian ship and fired on us" Jean-Luc replied evenly, now that the whole mess was over, "He's been taken into custody"  
"By who?" Ka'lar asked suspiciously.  
"By the Cardassians" Jean-Luc replied.  
"It is a trick!" Worf exclaimed. Did the man see conspiracies in everything? Jean-Luc did not feel like dealing with his claims and accusations.  
"They have invited us to be part of the interrogation" Jean-Luc admitted, "Would you prefer I attend?"  
"Yes" Worf answered savagely. Ka'lar looked like she was in complete agreement.  
"Very well" He turned back towards the screen to ask Data to open the channel again, but Data beat him to it.  
"Captain, the Cardassians are hailing us"  
"Open channel"  
"Captain. We did not find any evidence of the Ogowdian virus in Karchock's quarters" Nar'Lan reported, "However, we have found an antidote, in Sarkon's quarters" Jean-Luc nodded.  
"Under the circumstances" and he refused to glance at the two waiting Klingons, "I would like to be present for their interrogation"  
"Of course" Nar'Lan nodded, "You may beam over at your convenience. We will beam the antidote to your doctor so that she may administer it immediately" Jean-Luc was about to say something about holding a trial in the middle of the night, but decided against it.  
"Thank you. I will be there shortly" he replied without a smile. There was too much going on here.  
Still, ten minutes later, fully dressed and pressed, Jean-Luc watched as Beverly administered the antidote found in Sarkon's quarters. Raylyn's eyelids fluttered immediately. Will was clutching her hand and, indeed, the entire family had gathered.  
"It's working" Deanna said softly, though there was little outward evidence yet.  
"Raylyn, can you hear me?" Beverly asked, slightly bent over the woman.  
/Imzadi?/  
/Here/  
"Papa? Will?"  
"I'm here Ray" Will said softly, brushing her forehead tenderly. Jean- Luc recalled the incident he had overheard in sickbay.  
"So am I, Cherie" Jean-Luc told her. She opened her eyes slowly.  
"I seem to have an audience" she commented, and then coughed.  
"Who could resist watching Snow White sleep?" Will joked.  
"And who kissed me to wake me up?" Raylyn asked, in all seriousness, "There aren't any Prince Charmings on this ship that I know of" Everyone smiled. Raylyn was going to be all right.  
"I have to go" Jean-Luc told her gently, "I have to go see the Cardassians" Raylyn nodded her understanding.  
"Data" Jean-Luc beckoned his eldest to follow. They were aboard the dark Cardassian ship a few moments later.  
"This way, sirs" an officer showed them the way to what was apparently the Cardassian brig. Jean-Luc was very glad he was not a prisoner there.  
"Captain, we were just about to start" Dar'Kon said when they'd entered. Jean-Luc nodded. Data pulled his tricorder out to do a standard scan of the prisoner.  
"Captain!" he exclaimed softly. Karchock was being brought out of his cell to sit in a chair in the middle of the room.  
"What is it, Data?" Jean-Luc asked.  
"That man is not a Cardassian"  
  
AN: Dun dun dun! 


	17. A New Era

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
"What do you mean he's a Cardassian?" Dar'Kon roared, "What else could he be?"  
"He is a member of the Dominion" Data replied.  
"WHAT?" Dar'Kon roared again.  
"We do not, of course, have much information regarding Dominon physiology, however, that is how I would interpret this information" Data said, offering the tricorder to Dar'Kon. The Cardassian Ambassador waved it away. He turned back to Karchock.  
"Is this true?" he demanded of the younger man. Karchock took a moment to look back and forth between his Cardassian guards. Then, his form began to change. It sort of...melted and then melded back together, in a more humanoid form. It was very obvious now that he was Dominion, but nobody had further chance to do anything about it because he was slipping out of his harnesses, which had been set for the much larger Cardassian form, and being transported away. Sarkon, in her nearby cell, was being transported away as well.  
"Will!" Jean-Luc shouted over his com badge.  
"Too late, sir" Will replied, "They're already out of range"  
"Impossible!" Dar'Kon shouted, "No ship is that fast!"  
"They were hiding out behind the fifth planet, sir" Will told them, ignoring the Cardassian's outraged exclimation. Jean-Luc sighed.  
"Nar'Kon" Jean-Luc said, "May I suggest we meet aboard the Enterprise so that we may include the other Ambassadors" Dar'Kon looked as if he were about to say absolutely not.  
"I think we had better do something" Nar'Lan agreed, "The Dominion must be up to something"  
"I agree" Dar'Kon added, "Yes, Captain, we will meet aboard your ship in an hour"  
"Very well" Jean-Luc nodded and half a minute later was back on the Enterprise, waking his command crew. He was surprised to see Raylyn stride into the Observation lounge, head high, as if she hadn't just spent the last 24 hours in mortal danger.  
"Raylyn, what are you doing here?" Jean-Luc asked gruffly, his voice lowered so none of the delegates would hear. She didn't bother to look up at him.  
"Save it, Papa. I've already had it from everyone else" she said just as quietly. He heard a steel beneath her voice that he recognized well. He often had it in his own when he'd made decisions others had not agreed with. He didn't bother responding, he simply took his chair.  
"Commander" Ka'lar nodded at his daughter when the Klingon pair walked in, "You recovered quickly"  
"I always have" Raylyn said politely. Ka'lar nodded. Klingons understood Raylyn's warrior's pride, even if her family didn't.  
"I hope your child was unharmed" Spock said.  
"As far as my mother was able to determine, my children will suffer no long term affects" Raylyn answered. Only Deanna, her Imzadi, could hear the terror that had been relieved by that diagnosis.  
"Captain"  
"Ambassador Ro" Jean-Luc nodded at her, "I'm sorry about the hour"  
"It's fine. I was already awake" she answered with a flip of her hand. Unlike the Enterprise, which was set to Earth's days, the planet below was in early morning. Finally the Cardassians arrived. Geordi, Data and Wyatt (who had been included because of his work on the antidote) had given their seats up so that their superiors could all be seated.  
"What action do you plan on taking, Captain?" Dar'Kon asked immediately. So much for pleasantries.  
"I don't have a plan as of yet, Dar'Kon" Jean-Luc answered.  
"The logical course of action would be to follow the Dominion ship to determine it's purpose in the assassination attempt on Commander Picard- Riker" Spock stated.  
"The ship is well beyond our long distance scanning ranges, Ambassador" Data informed the elderly Vulcan.  
"What about an ion trail?" Worf wanted to know.  
"The ship did not leave a detectable ion trail" Data added.  
"How is that possible?" Nar'Lan growled.  
"Whatever technology they've developed to get them out of this system so fast, it's nothing we've ever seen before" Geordi told her, "It's possible they've found a way around leaving a detectable ion trail"  
"Is there any other way to follow the ship?" Lwaxana asked. She was all business tonight.  
"Not without more information about their propulsion system" Geordi answered.  
"Then what /will/ we do?" Dar'Kon asked. Nobody said anything at first.  
"Perhaps we should attempt to discover the reason for their aggression before we embark on any action" Spock suggested logically.  
"Do you think this could mean that the Dominion is winning the war with the Borg?" Deanna suggested.  
"And they're worried about turning around and facing a united sector after their losses?" Will put out.  
"Any creature with more than a kopek of a sense would take the time to rebuild their forces after a war before launching another attack" T'auri said.  
"Yes, but they are no doubt aware that we are prepared to attack first" Jean-Luc said. He hoped he hadn't just revealed top secret information.  
"It is dishonorable to attack a helpless foe" Worf said, "However, only a fool would think to pass up this tactical opportunity. The Dominion will never be helpless"  
"Nor will the Borg. The question is, which side is winning" Lwaxana interceded.  
"The logical conclusion would be that the Dominion is" Spock said, "They would otherwise have no logical motive for their recent actions"  
"Yes, but while the Borg often follow logical patterns, the Dominion is just as unpredictable as humans" Raylyn spoke for the first time. Spock nodded his agreement.  
"I think the one thing we can safely assume from this incident" Jean- Luc said, "Is that the war between the Dominion and the Borg is drawing to an end. Which means we need to be ready for them. That will require a united sector" He turned to the Cardassians.  
"Ambassador Dar'Kon, Nar'Lan, the Federation would welcome the Cardassians as allies"  
"As would the Klingons" Ka'lar added.  
"And Romulus" T'auri said. They all held their breath for the Cardassians answer. Dar'Kon stood, and so in turn did every one else.  
"Bach Ta haa Shi" Dar'Kon said, and shook Jean-Luc's hand.  
It translates as "Let us be Friends" 


	18. All Good Things

The Favor  
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad  
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.  
  
"Hey" Raylyn patted his shoulders as she walked by, "You did good Papa" He smiled at her and sipped his wine. The scene was wonderfully relaxing. Will and Wyatt were rolling in the grass, playing with their children. Raylyn and Deanna were laughing over something girlish and their mothers were sharing a conspiratorial cup of tea. Wesley was teaching Laal to play catch without lobbing his head off with the ball. Jason, Geordi and Data were talking about some new design upgrades the Enterprise was scheduled for. Jean-Luc fixed the scene in his mind. This is what he hadn't known he wanted. This is what he hadn't known he needed. It was a piece of heaven he knew he was never supposed to have known existed. But thanks to a certain sometimes dangerous, always obnoxious, nearly omnipotent being, he now knew that it was possible. He now knew that he could be the Captain of the Enterprise and have a family. He knew that he could deal with a child without scaring them to tears, or falling apart himself.  
And so it was he was smiling in his sleep, a few hours later. He was dreaming about the future. Raylyn gave birth to two beautiful, healthy little girls that looked just like her, Picard nose and all. J.W. adored them. The three of them, with their three cousins, grew into fine young men and women. J.W. went into Starfleet and took over the Enterprise when his father retired. The girls, Bethany and Chaza, after their mothers, followed different paths. Bethany went into history, a passion adopted from her grandfather. Chaza became an artist on Betazoid and became famous throughout the quadrant. Wesley quit the Academy, but followed the Traveler onto a higher plane of existence. Jason married, produced 5 children, and reshaped society on Kamor. Jean-Luc and Beverly eventually retired to his family estate in France. Rene had joined Starfleet, over his father's objections, and became one of the best Captains in the fleet. Jean-Luc couldn't imagine a more satisfying future for his family. Then, in the mists of his dreams and through the fog of unconsciousness, he heard a familiar voice, one that he was not particularly pleased to hear.  
"Hello, Jean-Luc" Fighting his sleep, the Captain tried to figure out what was going on. All that would come to his sleep ridden mind, however, was a name. A name which in itself spelled out disaster, annoyance, confusion, and now, oddly enough, appreciation.  
"Q"  
  
Jean-Luc let his eyelids flutter. He had the sense that he should be trying desperately to do something, catch on to something, but he couldn't think of what that might be. He breathed deeply and felt his head rest back into his pillow. It would be morning soon and he would have to get up, but he was enjoying the warmth of his blankets at the moment.  
Chime.  
??  
Chime.  
Jean-Luc mumbled something and flipped over. He heard his door open but the sound didn't quite register. He was still drifting slowly to consciousness.  
"Wakey wakey, Mon Captione!" Jean-Luc sat straight up in bed. Beverly was not beside him. The huge portrait of their family was missing. He was back. A deep disappointment flooded his chest.  
"Good morning, Q" he said, flipping the blankets back and getting up.  
  
"That's all I get? 'Good morning, Q'? Jean-Luc! After all I've done for you!" Q mocked his outrage and shock. It was his form of humor, as Jean- Luc was only too aware.  
"What day is it?" Jean-Luc asked, ignoring his outburst.  
"I told you the ship wouldn't do without it's Captain, Jean-Luc" Q answered cryptically.  
"Computer, date" Jean-Luc ordered, going for his uniform.  
"There you see" Q said when it had reported. He had woken the day after Data's art display. Right back where he belonged. He swallowed and zipped up his shoes. He would face this world just as he always had....but in the back of his mind he would always treasure the world he knew existed somewhere.  
"Very well, Q" he said. There wasn't anything else to say, really. He would die before thanking the meddlesome creature.  
"You're welcome, Jean-Luc" Q smiled pompously, sorely trying Jean- Luc's patience. He turned, as if he were going to go, and then turned back around.  
"Oh, yes" he snapped his fingers and three holograph cubes appeared on Jean-Luc's side table, "Raylyn insisted" And then in a bright light he was gone. Jean-Luc turned to the holograph cubes. He turned the first on. The happy image of his entire family appeared, Jason, Wesley, Deanna and Wyatt, everyone. He turned the second on. This one had only Raylyn, Will, J.W. and the twin girls, who were about 10 in the holograph. He turned to the third, no idea what so ever might be displayed as he thumbed it on. An image of Raylyn popped up, smiling softly at him, a light twinkling in her eye, her hair tumbling around her shoulders and face.  
And Jean-Luc smiled.  
  
Somewhere a few seconds before, or a few seconds later........  
  
"Papa?" Jean-Luc was already dressed.  
"Good morning, Ray" he said. She almost didn't notice it, she'd grown so used to the difference. She smiled, a little sadly and gave him his morning kiss.  
"Good morning, Papa" 


End file.
